PARIS: Greece striker Kostas Mitroglou netted a late equaliser on his club debut as Olympique de Marseille salvaged a 3-3 draw at Strasbourg in Ligue 1 on Sunday.

Dimitri Payet gave Marseille the lead on five minutes, but Jean Eudes Aholou’s deflected shot pulled Strasbourg level before Morgan Sanson’s cross made it 2-1 to the visitors just after the break.

Bakary Kone powered in a corner as Strasbourg hit back and the hosts looked on course for just a second win on their return to the top flight when Dimitri Lienard struck on 74 minutes.

But Mitroglou, who scored three times on international duty to help Greece earn a World Cup play-off place, fired home from close range after goalkeeper Bingourou Kamara spilled Jordan Amavi’s low shot in the 88th minute.

“Mitroglou was involved in almost everything good we did. He can do a bit more and a bit better but you have to give him time. It’s a good starting point,” said Marseille coach Rudi Garcia.

Despite Mitroglou’s late rescue act, fourth-placed Marseille saw their three-match winning run in the league snapped as they finished the weekend eight points behind leaders Paris St Germain ahead of next Sunday’s showdown at the Velodrome.

Fifth-placed Nantes are level on 17 points with Marseille and third-placed St Etienne, which have a better goal difference, after they played out a 1-1 draw at Girondins Bordeaux.

Nice slumped to a second successive defeat as they lost 2-0 at Montpellier. Benin attacking midfielder Stephane Sessegnon and Belgium forward Isaac Mbenza scored in the second half with their first goals of the campaign.

The win moved Montpellier up to mid-table, while Nice drop down to a miserable 14th place after their fifth defeat so far.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2017