Marseille lost their discipline and lost touch with Ligue 1 pacesetters Paris Saint-Germain following a 1-0 defeat at the Parc des Princes on Sunday night.
The visitors imploded in the 73rd minute when Samuel Gigot was handed a straight red card for a demented hack on Neymar.
The foul on the Brazilian came when Marseille were enjoying sustained pressure and appeared to be close to drawing level.
That they could even achieve parity was a testament as much to the hosts' profligacy in front of the target as to Pau Lopez's prowess in the Marseille goal.
Skills
Within the first five minutes, the 27-year-old Spaniard twice thwarted Lionel Messi - back from a calf injury that had kept him out of PSG's previous two matches - and foiled Achraf Hakimi. Kylian Mbappé was also unable to beat him.
When Messi finally foxed him at a free-kick after 35 minutes, Lopez was saved by his crossbar.
In the rare moments of respite, Marseille showed fragments of the panache that has taken them to the upper reaches of Ligue 1 this season under new boss Igor Tudor.
Following one punchy counter-attack, Amine Harit forced a smart save from Gigi Donnarumma in the PSG goal.
But despite the gutsy running and sly movement of veteran striker Alexis Sanchez, Marseille could not breach the PSG rearguard.
Breakthrough
And they were undone in first half-stoppage time. Marco Verratti snaffled the ball off Valentin Rongier, laid it on to Vitinha who fed Mbappé on the left hand side of the Marseille penalty area.
Neymar stylishly flicked the Frenchman's pass wide of Lopez and into the net.
It was the Brazilian's ninth goal of the Ligue 1 campaign and set the match up for a grandstand second-half.
But the hosts could not press home their advantage. Either Lopez or a defender's foot stopped the second. A distinct lack of composure pervaded the PSG front line.
𝗜𝗖𝗜 𝗖'𝗘𝗦𝗧... ‼️#PSGOM I #LeClassique pic.twitter.com/InJ4tq1luu
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside) October 16, 2022
Even after Gigot's expulsion, Marseille refused to buckle. Matteo Guendouzi harried and hustled but his energy failed to launch the salvage job.
Cengiz Under went for glory in second-half stoppage time but Donnarumma was able to collect the shot comfortably.
The victory took PSG - with 29 points - three points clear of Lorient who drew 0-0 with Reims on Saturday.
Lens are third after their 1-0 win over Montpellier and Marseille drop to fourth.
At the other end of the food chain, Nantes registered only their second win of the campaign with a 4-1 romp past foot-of-the-table Brest.
The win took the French Cup holders up to 14th.
Laurent Blanc's return to coaching in France after a six-year absence began with defeat.
His Lyon side went down 3-2 at Rennes who moved into fifth.
