Mason Greenwood’s brace maintained his scintillating form as Marseille cantered to a 5-1 win over Nice that lifted them to the top of Ligue 1 on Friday.
Greenwood’s goals were his seventh and eighth in the last five league games and took his tally to 11 for the season.
Further goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, United States international Timothy Weah and Igor Paixão ensured Roberto De Zerbi’s side claimed the bragging rights in the Riviera derby.
The win took the south coast club to 28 points, one ahead of champions Paris Saint-Germain, who play Le Havre on Saturday.
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.
It was the veteran striker’s 400th career goal.
Greenwood made it 2-0 22 minutes later when his shot took a decisive deflection that wrong-footed Diouf.
The goal survived a VAR check for a potential foul in the build-up and Nice were not happy, sparking ugly scenes amid a scuffle between players and benches, as well as an object thrown from the crowd, that delayed the restart by several minutes.
Tempers eventually calmed but Marseille had not lost their 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.
He now has 31 Ligue 1 goals in his two seasons in Ligue 1, eight more than any other player in the span.
That was followed by another from Weah as 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 Paixão to score a fifth for Marseille 16 minutes from time.
Nice remained in ninth place in Ligue 1.
Information from The Associated Press, PA and ESPN Research was used in this report.
