Paulo Fonseca’s first match as Lyon head coach came in this ‘Choc des Olympiques’ clash, and a trip to the imposing Stade Vélodrome.
The Portuguese may have been thrown straight into the deep end in some respects, but his side were relatively comfortable at dealing with the limited threat Marseille posed in a lacklustre first half.
The hosts had the better of the few chances, as Michael Amir Murillo fired wide from Quentin Merlin’s cross to the far post, while Lucas Perri comfortably held Bilal Nadir’s shot in the only attempt on target for both sides before half-time.
Corentin Tolisso silenced the Velodrome by giving Lyon a 53rd-minute lead with a brilliant right-footed finish which he tucked under the onrushing Geronimo Rulli at the end of a beautifully crafted counter-attack from Fonseca’s side.
It was their first shot on target of the match, and a second soon followed when Rulli denied the midfielder with a separate attempt moments later. The Lyon midfielder was involved in the thick of the action, as he fired another shot wide of the far post.
But it was Les Phocéens who struck next, and it came courtesy of their top scorer Mason Greenwood just past the hour mark.
The 23-year-old applied the simplest of tap-ins from a Marseille counter-attack, with Amine Gouiri claiming an assist on his debut within three minutes of being introduced for his debut.
De Zerbi’s men turned the match on its head when Adrien Rabiot headed the hosts in front after Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg headed Greenwood’s lofted pass into the path of the France midfielder to nod home.
This game had well and truly sparked into life, and there was a moment of controversy when referee Jerome Brisard determined that Rabiot had handled Nicolas Tagliafico’s cut-back after heading to the pitchside monitor.
Alexandre Lacazette made no mistake from the spot, and Lyon had restored parity in what was now a gripping encounter between two French heavyweights.
The hosts were looking more likely to score next, and Luis Henrique sparked the crowd into raptures with a superb first-time finish from Pol Lirola’s cross.
Ultimately, Fonseca would suffer defeat on his Les Gones managerial bow, with the visitors missing out on a chance to move up into the top six. They remain seventh, while second-placed Marseille moved to within 10 points of Paris Saint-Germain.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Adrien Rabiot (Marseille)