Former West Ham star Dimitri Payet rolled back the years in a goal of the season contender for Marseille but the Ligue 1 club had to settle for a 2-1 win over Greeks PAOK in the Europa Conference League quarter-finals.
In the first leg of the third-tier European competition at the Stade Velodrome, the winger set up Gerson to put OM in front in the 13th minute before drilling home a second on the stroke of halftime.
There have already been widespread appeals for the goal to be nominated for the Puskas award for goal of the season in world football.
It was the 35-year-old’s 12th goal of the season, keeping him on track for his most productive scoring year ever.
Moroccan Omar El Kaddouri pulled one back for PAOK early in the second half to leave the tie in the balance ahead of the return game, while Gerson was sent off in injury time.
The match was marred by some ugly clashes between supporters outside the stadium before kick-off.
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ROME STUNNED BY MINNOWS AGAIN: CONFERENCE LEAGUE WRAP
Norwegians Bodo/Glimt grabbed a late 2-1 win over Roma in their Europa Conference League quarter-final first leg on Thursday, while Leicester were held to a goalless draw by PSV Eindhoven.
Bodo/Glimt, who inflicted a stunning 6-1 defeat on Jose Mourinho’s Roma in the group stage, battled back from a goal down to beat the Italian giants again.
Lorenzo Pellegrini gave Roma the lead just before halftime as the visitors looked to extend a nine-match unbeaten run in all competitions.
But Ulrik Saltnes bundled in an equaliser for the home side before the hour mark.
Pellegrini had an effort ruled out for off-side with 15 minutes remaining and Roma suffered another setback in the 89th minute.
Hugo Vetlesen got to Amahl Pellegrino’s free-kick first and nodded a dramatic winner past away goalkeeper Rui Patricio.
Roma substitute Eldor Shomurodov had a late chance to level, but he headed narrowly over the crossbar.
Mourinho was not happy with the match being played on a plastic pitch, saying: “The first goal was ridiculous. To be honest, the thing that worries me the most is the injury for Mancini. It’s a concern, it’s something caused by playing on a plastic turf.”
He continued: “It is a pity we had an important injury, which I call the injuries of the plastic pitches … It’s out of our control. People decided that European competitions can be played on plastic pitches.”
Leicester were the better side for long periods against PSV but will now face a tough test next week in the second leg in the Netherlands.
Without injured striker Jamie Vardy, Brendan Rodgers’ men could only muster two shots on target at the King Power Stadium.
The Foxes are hoping to reach the semi-finals of a European competition for the first time in their history, after also reaching the last eight of the 2016/17 Champions League.
Feyenoord and Slavia Prague played out a thrilling 3-3 draw in Rotterdam, with Ibrahim Traore netting a 95th-minute equaliser for the Czechs.
The hosts trailed 2-1 midway through the second period, before goals from Marcos Senesi and Orkun Kokcu appeared to have given them a first-leg lead.
EUROPA LEAGUE WRAP
A second-half equaliser by Ferran Torres rescued Barcelona on Thursday as the Spanish giants were held to a 1-1 draw at 10-man Eintracht Frankfurt in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final.
Frankfurt, who had Brazilian defender Tuta sent off for a second booking late on, took the lead when Ansgar Knauff hit the top corner with a curling long-range shot just after halftime.
However, Barcelona fought back when Torres tapped in after combining with Frenkie de Jong in the 66th minute.
Socceroo Ajdin Hrustic was left on the bench by Frankfurt. The second leg takes place at Camp Nou next Thursday.
Elsewhere, Jarrod Bowen scored as West Ham battled to a 1-1 draw at home to Lyon after Aaron Cresswell was sent off just before halftime for a foul on Moussa Dembele.
West Ham, playing in a European quarter-final for the first time in 41 years, went ahead in the 52nd minute when Bowen pounced on an error by Jerome Boateng.
Tanguy Ndombele, on loan from Tottenham, levelled for Lyon 14 minutes later.
In Portugal, Abel Ruiz hit a fine goal in the 40th minute as Braga defeated Rangers 1-0.
Braga were unfortunate not to have won by more after Ricardo Horta hit the post while the same player had a 25th-minute goal chalked off by VAR after a foul on Ryan Jack in the build-up.
An own-goal by Davide Zappacosta just before the hour mark allowed RB Leipzig to salvage a 1-1 draw at home to Atalanta.
Luis Muriel gave the Italian side a 17th-minute lead with a powerful drive which beat goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi.
Both sides hit the woodwork before Leipzig’s Andre Silva missed a penalty after Christopher Nkunku had been brought down in the area.
Moments later, the home side eventually got on the scoresheet when, under pressure from Willi Orban, the unfortunate Zappacosta managed to push the ball past his own keeper.
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