VIDEO: Crowd violence tarnishes Lyon's draw at Marseille

Mathieu Valbuena's return to Marseille's Stade Velodrome was marred by senseless violence, as the match was suspended in the second half after Olympique supporters littered the pitch with glass bottles, nearly striking Lyon 'keeper Anthony Lopes.

Valbuena was also nearly hit by projectiles while taking corner kicks in a heated affair that ended in a 1-1 draw, as both sides continue to disappoint mid-table.

Matters were sure to be acrimonious as the ex-Marseille midfielder was greeted pre-match by a rather morbid effigy hung by OM supporters.

Related: PHOTO - Mathieu Valbuena's return to Marseille greeted with graphic effigy

The 50-time capped French international spent eight seasons with Marseille, making 242 appearances, before leaving for Dynamo Moscow prior to the 2014-15 season. The move was met with dissent from OM supporters, who accused Valbuena of valuing money over club loyalty.

It would appear as if the sentiments of Marseille fans trickled down onto the pitch during Sunday's utter mess of a match.

Marseille players emulated their supporters, repeatedly cutting down the diminutive midfielder with violent tackles.

Marseille's Romain Alessandrini was the most guilty of the Olympique offenders, violently taking down Valbuena with seconds left in the half, an egregious display that immediately received a red card from the ref, and a humourous tweet from Lyon's official account.

Despite the delays and unsavoury displays, there was still a good match on display Sunday.

Alexandre Lacazette opened the scoring with a clinical penalty after Marseille 'keeper Steve Mandanda brought down the French international striker in the 23rd minute.

Following the second half display, Marseille summer signing and crowd favourite Karim Rekik directed a header off an Abdel Barrada cross past a flat-footed Lopes.

One look at the Marseille supporter's section following Rekik's equalizer is telling of how much this result meant to them, the effigy of Valbuena the only sight not breaching unadulterated hysterics.

Regardless of the outcome of the match, it's hard to overlook the violence that sullied an otherwise competitive rivalry.