Paris Saint-Germain secured only their second Ligue 1 win of the season by beating 10-man Olympique de Marseille 2-1, leaving the hosts with four defeats in their opening five league matches for the first time.
No away supporters were allowed inside the stadium, but PSG were still met by a hostile atmosphere as they visited a Marseille side seeking a response after a heavy midweek defeat in European action.
Marseille started brightly but could not turn their early pressure into a serious opportunity. PSG created the first clear chance inside 15 minutes, although Ousmane Dembele lifted his chip on to the roof of the net.
The hosts had to wait until the 24th minute for their first attempt, with Matvey Safonov comfortably saving Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s effort.
By then, Bruno Genesio’s side were being pushed back by Luis Enrique’s team. Marseille reached half-time level, but they were frustrated after Neal Maupay failed to make the most of their best opening, scuffing his shot from a promising position.
PSG increased the tempo after the interval. Desire Doue, Joao Neves and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia all tested Jeffrey de Lange within the first five minutes of the second half, while Kvaratskhelia went close to breaking the deadlock with an audacious flick from Dembele’s cutback.
The visitors eventually took the lead in the 66th minute through substitute Ferran Torres. The scorer of the winning goal in the FIFA World Cup final met Doue’s cross with a powerful header to register his seventh goal in six appearances for PSG.
Marseille responded six minutes later. Hojbjerg won possession and supplied Amine Gouiri, who laid the ball off for Angel Gomes to finish superbly and score his first Ligue 1 goal since November.
Their equaliser lasted less than two minutes. Nuno Mendes’ cross reached Marquinhos, who swept the ball home for his first goal against Marseille since February 2017.
PSG were reduced to 10 men when Timothy Weah, a former PSG academy player, received a second yellow card for bringing down Mendes.
Marseille could not take advantage. De Lange denied Mendes, while Nayef Aguerd missed a late chance to earn a point when he headed wide from close range in stoppage time.
The defeat was Marseille’s fourth in succession in Ligue 1, a run they last experienced in April 2015. It was also their 39th head-to-head loss of the century, sending them into the international break in the relegation zone.
PSG move up to sixth after recording their sixth victory in their past nine Ligue 1 away matches. Nuno Mendes was named Flashscore’s Man of the Match.