PARIS — Andre-Pierre Gignac scored in the last minute of stoppage time at Caen to help Marseille secure a seventh consecutive win in the French league on Saturday and open a five-point gap at the top of the standings.
Gignac, who has scored nine goals this season, kept his composure and slotted home the winner after being set up by Benjamin Mendy for Marseille to win 2-1.
Gignac has been unstoppable in recent weeks and his form earned him a recall to France’s squad for upcoming matches against Portugal and Armenia.
"We had to wait until the final second to snatch the win," said Gignac, who has scored 25 goals in his last 44 matches. "Tonight you did not see a great performance from us but perhaps luck smiled at the leader."
In slight drizzle, Marseille struggled to break down Caen’s resistance before Alaixys Romao opened the scoring 15 minutes from time. Caen defender Yrondu Musavu-King put the teams level in the 84th minute with a superb header that wrongfooted keeper Steve Mandanda from a free kick.
Marseille leads second-placed Bordeaux by five points after nine rounds.
Lille can move to second place with a win at Lyon on Sunday while fourth-placed Paris Saint-Germain will attempt to carry its Champions League form into the domestic league when it hosts Monaco on the back of a 3-2 win over Barcelona midweek.
Marseille coach Marcelo Bielsa fielded the same lineup for the seventh consecutive game, with Gignac playing in front of Florian Thauvin and Andre Ayew on the wings.
Looking for a first win against Marseille since 1997, the hosts started well and took possession of the midfield although Bielsa’s team was dangerous on its first attack. Thauvin connected with Dimitri Payet’s through ball but was impressively denied by Caen goalkeeper Remy Vercoutre in the 7th.
Thauvin caused Caen’s defence countless problems with his pace and intelligent runs but missed a good chance in the 15th when he was left unmarked at the far post but fluffed his header.
Newly-promoted Caen did not look intimidated as Mathieu Duhamel responded with a superb 40-meter strike that brushed passed the woodwork.
Marseille gradually took the upper hand as Caen players struggled to cope with the visitors’ pressure and were pegged back in their own half. Thauvin and Gignac combined well after 30 minutes with the latter missing the target from close range before Vercoutre made a fine reflex save to deny Giannelli Imbula’s powerful shot.
Marseille returned from the dressing room with the same intentions and went close after Payet found Thauvin with a fine chip but the midfielder’s header was saved by defender Dennis Appiah.
Caen finally gave way when Romao made the most of substitute Romain Alessandrini’s precise corner kick to head the ball home.
The hosts hit back immediately with another superb header into the top right corner from Damien Da Silva that was disallowed for an offside position. But Marseille’s defence was made to pay for its passivity soon after when Musavu-King took advantage of another well-taken free kick to beat Mandanda.
Both teams kept attacking until the end and Gignac finally secured the three points with a powerful shot that gave Vercoutre no chance.
