Lyon battles back to draw Marseille

PARIS (AP)

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Marseille and Lyon both lost ground in the French league title race by splitting the points in a 2-2 draw on Sunday.

Marseille midfielder Benoit Cheyrou fired into the bottom corner to open the scoring in the 16th minute. Brazilian striker Brandao volleyed home a cross from Morgan Amalfitano to double Marseille's lead in the 34th.

Lyon pulled one back with a close-range effort from Bafetimbi Gomis in the 36th before leveling from an own goal by Marseille center back Souleymane Diawara in the 45th.

Lyon remained in fourth place, 10 points behind leader Paris Saint-Germain and one clear of Marseille.

Three games were postponed because of a frozen pitch following a cold snap.

Saturday's match between Saint-Etienne and Lorient was abandoned after 10 minutes. Sunday's matches pitting Sochaux against Lille and Caen against Auxerre were called off, too.

The French league has not set a new date for the postponed matches.

Marseille created the first chance in the second minute when fullback Jeremy Morel charged down the left flank to make a low cross for Morgan Amalfitano, who controlled the ball before curling a shot over the bar.

Lyon gave the hosts a scare in the ninth but Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandanda parried the point-blank shot from Gomis. Mandanda then intercepted a cross for an unmarked Lisandro Lopez in the following minute.

Marseille scored from a controversial play. Charles Kabore sent a ball over the top for Brandao, who missed his first touch. But Cheyrou pounced on a poor clearance from Lyon left back Aly Cissokho to flick home. However, TV replays showed Brandao was offside.

Brandao escaped Lyon defender Samuel Umtiti's marking to add a second goal.

But Lyon cut Marseille's lead two minutes later. Jimmy Briand redirected a corner with a backheel flick, and Gomis at the far post slammed the ball in.

Lyon equalized on the stroke of halftime when Diawara turned into his own net a cross from Cissokho.

Marseille kept pressing to score the winning goal, but Lyon goalkeeper Hugo Lloris turned a volley from Alou Diarra in the 61st around the post before saving a curling shot from Loic Remy in the 68th.

Cheyrou teed up Remy in the 87th, but the France forward's volley lacked the power to beat Lloris.

Mandanda salvaged a point for Marseille with a reflex save in stoppage time, blocking Lopez's shot from seven yards after receiving the ball from midfielder Kim Kallstrom's pass.