Ligue 1: Monaco holds off Marseille’s comeback attempt with only nine players, resulting in an exhilarating draw.

Marseille’s clash with Monaco at the Orange Velodrome was a thrilling encounter that ended in a 2-2 draw. The game was filled with drama, as both teams fought hard to secure a crucial victory.

Monaco took an early lead in the seventh minute when Wissam Ben Yedder found the back of the net with a superb volley. However, their joy was short-lived as Guillermo Maripan was shown a straight red card for a challenge on Vitinha, leaving Monaco with a numerical disadvantage for the majority of the game.

Despite being a man down, Monaco managed to maintain their lead until the stroke of half-time when Maghnes Akliouche equalized for Marseille. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had initially scored for Marseille, but his goal was ruled out for offside before being confirmed by VAR.

The second half started with a bang as Leonardo Balerdi unleashed a thunderous strike to level the scoreline once again. Marseille had several chances to take the lead but were unable to convert them into goals.

Late in the game, Monaco’s Denis Zakaria received two quick yellow cards, reducing his team to nine men. However, Marseille failed to capitalize on their numerical advantage and missed a golden opportunity to snatch a late winner when Vitinha failed to make good contact with the ball.

The draw sees Marseille move up to sixth place in the league standings, while Monaco remains in fourth place. Both teams are still in the race for European football, with Monaco level on points with Brest and nine points behind league leaders Paris Saint-Germain.

Marseille will now turn their attention to their upcoming clash against Lyon on February 4, hoping to bounce back from this draw. Meanwhile, Monaco will face Le Havre on the same date, aiming to secure a vital victory.