Greenwood scores again and again to help Marseille go top in Ligue 1

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NICE, France (AP) — Mason Greenwood's brace maintained his scintillating form as Marseille cantered to a 5-1 win over Nice that lifted it to the top of Ligue 1 on Friday.

Greenwood’s goals were his seventh and eighth in the last five league games and took the south coast club to 28 points, one ahead of champion Paris Saint-Germain, which plays Le Havre on Saturday.

Veteran striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang got the opener in the 11th minute but much of the credit went to France World Cup winner Benjamin Pavard.

Nice goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf palmed Pavard’s header over the bar for a corner and the defender was first to meet the in-swinging kick. His effort was goal bound but Aubameyang pounced to help it on its way.

Greenwood made it 2-0 22 minutes later when his shot took a decisive deflection that wrong-footed Diouf.

The goal extended his recent prolific form but was followed by an object thrown from the crowd and a scuffle between players and benches that delayed the restart by several minutes.

Tempers eventually calmed but Marseille had not lost its fire.

Greenwood scored his second and Marseille’s third eight minutes after the break when he drilled a low shot into the far corner of the net from the edge of the penalty box.

That was followed by another from Timothy Weah as Roberto De Zerbi’s men piled on the misery for an insipid home side.

Mohammed-Ali Cho got a goal back for Nice with a glancing header in the 63rd but the outstanding Aubameyang set up Brazilian Igor Paixão to score a fifth for Marseille 16 minutes from time.

Nice remained in ninth place in Ligue 1.

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