Claude Makelele began his coaching career with a thrilling come-from-behind point in SC Bastia’s 3-3 draw with Olympique de Marseille on Saturday, although the entertaining encounter was marred by violent clashes that erupted before and after the match, injuring more than 40 law enforcement officers.
At the Stade Arman Cesari in Bastia, Corsica, Andre-Pierre Gignac scored twice for the visitors, who led 3-1, but Christopher Maboulou’s own brace earned the hosts a point.
Maboulou gave Bastia the lead on nine minutes with a spectacular volley, but Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandanda seemed to let the ball go through his hands as he tried to punch it clear.
Photo: AFP
Gignac’s near-post header brought Marseille level before a comical own-goal from Romaric put the hosts in front before halftime.
Gignac extended the lead from the spot on 62 minutes after Sebastien Squillaci was penalized for handball, but just three minutes later, Junior Tallo reduced the deficit with a penalty at the other end after Benjamin Mendy was harshly adjudged to have brought Maboulou down in the area.
However, Maboulou had the last word with a close-range shot from an angle that slipped inside the far post to ruin Marcelo Bielsa’s debut on the Marseille bench.
“It’s our first success, in a way, to come back from 3-1 down,” Makelele said. “I congratulate the coach of Marseille as it’s a team which is going to cause problems for a lot of teams. We could have lost this match, but I am not concerned as I am still getting to know my players.”
Makelele’s managerial debut was darkened by the clashes that the French Ministry of the Interior said yesterday had injured 44 French riot and paramilitary police officers.
In a statement, the ministry said 10 members of the CRS riot police and 34 gendarmes were injured when violence broke out at the stadium “before and after” the Ligue 1 match.
French Minister of the Interior Bernard Cazeneuve called for “an end to this violent behavior, especially toward security forces who must be respected.”
It was unclear what prompted the clashes.
Elsewhere in Ligue 1, newly-promoted Stade Malherbe Caen Calvados made a bright start to their return to the top flight with a 3-0 win at Evian Thonon Gaillard.
The game was all but over by halftime after Ngolo Kante opened the scoring and Mathieu Duhamel added a brace.
Also on Saturday, OGC Nice won a thrilling battle with Toulouse 3-2 at the Allianz Riviera.
Argentine forward Dario Cvitanich opened the scoring on 23 minutes, but two goals in as many minutes just before the break from Denmark international Martin Braithwaite and Ben Yedder turned the game on its head.
However, Cvitanich equalized just after the hour mark and then Alexy Bosetti’s pinpoint header on 68 minutes gave the Cote d’Azur side three points.
A Mevlut Erding brace, the first from the spot and the second deep into stoppage time, gave AS Saint-Etienne a 2-0 victory at Coupe de France winners En Avant de Guingamp.
In other games, there were 1-0 wins for Girondins de Bordeaux at 2012 champions Montpellier Herault and Nantes at home to newly-promoted Racing Club de Lens.
LOSC Lille Metropole and Ligue 2 champions Metz played out a 0-0 draw.
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