Marseille holds on to beat Nice, move up to sixth place

Marseille's Saif-Eddine Khaoui, right, celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the League One match between Olympique de Marseille and Nice at the Velodrome stadium in Marseille, southern France, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021. (Daniel Cole/AP)

PARIS — Saif-Eddine Khaoui scored twice as Marseille beat Nice 3-2 at home Wednesday to snap a seven-game winless run and move up to sixth place in the French league.

Central defender Alvaro Gonzalez scored early in the first half and Khaoui added the second just before the break to put Marseille 2-0 up, both netting their first goals of the season.

But Nice showed just why it was unlucky to lose 2-1 at defending champion Paris Saint-Germain last weekend with a strong reaction.

Forward Amine Gouiri pulled a goal back one minute into the second half and, after Khaoui had made it 3-1 with a powerful strike from just inside the penalty area, Gouiri set up substitute Malik Sellouki in the 86th.

Then, in the fifth and final minute of injury time, the impressive Gouiri stuck a free kick which rattled the Marseille crossbar at an empty Stade Velodrome.

Despite two good performances, Nice finds itself mired in 14th place and only seven points above the relegation zone after 25 of 38 matches.

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