David Ngog scored an injury-time equalizer to earn Stade de Reims a 2-2 draw and deny Olympique de Marseille top spot in Ligue 1 on Friday.
Earlier Jordan Ayew had seemed set to begin the healing process from his Africa Cup of Nations heartbreak as his goal gave the hosts a 2-1 lead at the Stade Velodrome.
However, former Liverpool striker Ngog came off the bench to pounce late on for Reims, who remain in mid-table, and snatch a deserved share of the spoils.
Photo: AFP
“Dropping two points at home is not a good result,” Ayew said.
“We were pegged back in the last minute, but there you go. We can’t let our heads go down and we have to continue with the same spirit,” he added.
Ayew had lashed home 21 minutes from time from less than a meter out after Andre-Pierre Gignac had completely missed an attempt at an acrobatic volley inside the area, which nonetheless helped to deceive goalkeeper Kossi Agassa.
The Ghana forward’s goal came just five days after his country’s dramatic penalty shoot-out defeat to Ivory Coast in the Africa Cup of Nations final in Equatorial Guinea.
Ghana had even led the shoot-out 2-0 at one point before cracking within touching distance of lifting the Cup for the first time since 1982.
A disjointed Marseille performance saw them fail to overhaul leaders Olympique Lyonnais, who were to play lowly Lorient yesterday, and left them a point ahead of champions Paris Saint-Germain.
Nicolas de Preville had given Reims a sixth-minute lead on the south coast, but Dimitri Payet’s heavily deflected shot restored parity just before the hour mark.
Ayew’s goal came from a corner that caused panic in the Reims box, with Agassa’s athletic reaction to Gignac’s point-blank attempted volley clearing the path for the Ghanaian to tap into an empty net.
Marseille were warned moments later as Reims almost snatched an equalizer.
First, home goalkeeper Steve Mandanda made a stunning reaction stop from close range to deny Prince Oniangue’s diving header, before Gaetan Charbonnier crashed the follow up against the bar.
Yet Ngog ensured Reims would not be denied, thus denying Marseille a club record 12th consecutive home win in a season — they remain stuck on 11, a feat they had previously achieved in 1948.
LA LIGA
AP, MADRID
Real Sociedad twice came from behind to draw 2-2 against UD Almeria in La Liga on Friday.
The hosts took the lead in just the fifth minute after Sociedad goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli badly mistimed a tackle and brought down the Republic of the Congo forward Thievy Bifouma in the area, with Jose “Verza” Garcia converting the penalty.
Imanol Agirretxe equalized for Real Sociedad with a well-placed back-header from a Esteban Granero free-kick in the 27th minute.
Bifouma then set up Almeria’s second when he raced up the left flank and sent a pass toward Tomer Hemed, who scored his seventh goal this season in the 40th.
“I don’t much like playing on the wing, but it worked out today and I hope things continue going well,” Bifouma said. “It’s not a bad point to come away with because although we wanted to win, they’re a tough team and nothing is easy in this league.”
Sergio Canales drew the match level eight minutes later by racing up the field to collect Xabi Prieto’s well-timed pass and wrong-footing goalkeeper Julian Cuesta to score his third goal this season.
“Our intention was to come away with all three points, but our first half was not good,” Canales said. “This year hasn’t worked out how we had hoped, but next match we’ll be at home in front of our fans to receive Sevilla.”
BUNDESLIGA
AFP, BERLIN
Germany star Marco Reus scored a goal to help Borussia Dortmund move out of the relegation zone with a 4-2 victory over FSV Mainz 05 in Bundesliga action on Friday, the team’s first home win of this year.
Reus ended weeks of transfer speculation, both at home and abroad, by this week signing a contract extension until 2019, a massive boost for Dortmund in their battle to avoid a first relegation since 1972.
Mainz took a first-minute lead through a long-range lob by Colombian Elkin Soto. Dortmund responded with two sharp goals 10 minutes into the second half, first Neven Subotic with the equalizer and then Reus grabbing the lead after rounding the goalkeeper.
The lead was short-lived, as Yunus Malli drew Mainz level just a minute later.
However, Dortmund secured the invaluable win with goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Nuri Sahin.
Jurgen Klopp’s side now face a trip to bottom club VfB Stuttgart before minds turn to the Champions League last-16 game away against Juventus on Feb. 24.
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