Greenwood’s hat-trick sends Marseille top of Ligue 1

Mason Greenwood scored four goals as Marseille came from behind to beat Le Havre 6-2 to go top of the Ligue 1 table, while Nice demolished Lyon in a clinical display of finishing.

Reigning champions and league leaders going into the weekend’s action, Paris Saint-Germain drew 3-3 at home to third-placed Strasbourg on Friday, giving rivals Marseille and Lyon the chance to take top spot.

Marseille made the most of this opportunity thanks to Greenwood and now have 18 points, one ahead of PSG.

Yassine Kechta gave 15th-placed Havre a shock lead at the Velodrome on 24 minutes.

But the match swung firmly in the home side’s favor just after the half-hour as a penalty was awarded to Le Havre’s Gautier Lloris for handball, with the defender also sent off after a VAR review increased his punishment from a yellow to a red card.

Greenwood sent over the resulting spot in the 35th minute to level things up.

The 10 men frustrated Marseille until seven minutes from time when Greenwood fired them into the lead with a finish from the right of the box.

This strike opened the floodgates.

The England winger completed his hat-trick on 72 minutes with a graceful finish, before netting a fourth four minutes later, right-footing it past helpless goalkeeper Maury Diaw.

Robinio Vaz made it five for Marseille with two minutes remaining before Le Havre’s Abdoulaye Toure took the lead with a thunderous volley into the top corner in the 92nd minute.

Amir Murillo scored a minute later to ensure table-topping Marseille finished on a high.

“Deception” is needed.

Victory for Paulo Fonseca’s Lyon would have seen them take top spot earlier on Saturday, but instead a disappointing 3-2 defeat in Nice condemned them to remain fourth on 15 points.

Lyon assistant coach Jorge Maciel said after the defeat that the team needed “maturity and guile at key moments (in matches)”.

“If we have to score four goals to win in Ligue 1, it will be difficult,” added the Portuguese.

Melvin Bard gave eighth-ranked Nice the lead with five minutes on the clock as he finished first time with a fine finish past Dominik Greif after latching on to Sofiane Diop’s inviting ball from the right.

The visitors leveled just before the half-hour mark when Pavel Sulk nodded in a corner kick.

Diop restored the home side’s lead in the 35th minute with their second shot on goal of the match.

Danger again came from the right as a through ball was headed back across the six-yard box by Mohamed-Ali Cho and the Moroccan slotted home from a tight angle.

Lyon were awarded a spot-kick shortly after half-time but former Arsenal man Ainsley Maitland-Niles failed to beat goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf from 12 yards as Nice were sent off.

The home side immediately took advantage of the break as midfielder Hicham Boudaoui completed the rout with an unerring strike that deflected away from Greif and into the Slovakian’s far corner in the 55th minute.

Schulk headed in his second of the game for Lyon five minutes into added time, but Nice held firm to see out the three points.

Elsewhere on Saturday, fifth-placed Monaco are a point behind Lyon after being held to a 1-1 draw by second-placed Angers.

United States striker Folarin Balogun put the principality side ahead in the 72nd minute.

But Sidiki Cherif fired back with five minutes remaining to earn a valuable point for the visitors.