Deschamps rides the highway of emotions

Olympique de Marseille coach Didier Deschamps likened his team's defence to "a motorway without a toll" despite seeing them come from behind three times to draw 5-5 with Olympique Lyonnais on Sunday.

Toulalan own goal
Lyon headed into the evening kick-off in the knowledge victory would leave them top following FC Girondins de Bordeaux's earlier 2-0 slip up at LOSC Lille Métropole. On three separate occasions they looked to have done enough to earn the required three points, going 1-0, 2-1 and 5-4 in front. But three times OM hit back, lastly via a Jérémy Toulalan own goal two minutes into second-half added time, to secure only the third 5-5 draw in Ligue 1 history, and the first since OGC Nice and Lille shared ten goals in 1957.

'Something Crazy'
"Considering our ambitions, we must not lose a point when two up in Lyon," said Deschamps after seeing his side surrender a 4-2 lead with just nine minutes remaining. "Our defence was like a motorway with no toll. It's good for football but I'm disappointed as a coach." Not since FC Metz's 7-3 victory over Nîmes Olympique SC in 1984 had ten goals been scored in a French top-flight fixture, prompting French sports newspaper L'Equipe to carry the headine "Something Crazy" and local Lyon publication Le Progrès to lead with "A Draw and a Show!"

'Crazy game'
Les Gones coach Claude Puel was less enthused by the outcome, however. "We were leading in added time and conceded after a mix up following a throw-in. It's just a shame," he said. Lyon midfielder Kim Källström was left to ponder an opportunity missed but appeared content enough to reflect on a game of such rare drama. "We thought it was sealed at 5-4," said Källström. "But a 5-5 draw is quite fair. It's good to have a crazy game like that once in a while."