The Italian manager could hardly have made a better start to life as Marseille boss with his side just one of four yet to lose in the French top flight ahead of kick-off.
However, he would have been less than impressed by defender Leonardo Balerdi, who received his marching orders inside five minutes, tangling with Alexandre Lacazette for a second yellow card.
Lyon immediately looked to press home their numerical advantage, striking the crossbar via Gift Orban’s bicycle kick before Gerónimo Rulli denied his prodded effort at goal minutes later.
The hosts were predictably dominating possession, but after Corentin Tolisso rounded Rulli and saw his goal-bound effort cleared, Marseille began to impose themselves on the contest.
Substitute Valentin Rongier fired a warning shot at Lucas Perri minutes before Tolisso made a goal-saving contribution of his own, clearing Elye Wahi’s shot off the line.
At the other end, Tolisso was at the heart of the action again, this time getting his head on a back-post cross that was handled by Rongier. A long VAR check eventually led to a penalty, but having failed to score so far this season, captain Lacazette saw his spot-kick saved.
Marseille were the only side to have led each of their Ligue 1 games at the interval, but given how events unfolded in the opening half, Les Phoceens fans were likely satisfied with the half time stalemate.
Of course, none of those supporters were in the stadium thanks to a league-imposed ban, which may not have been the worst thing as former Marseille man Duje Ćaleta-Car broke the deadlock.
Clinton Mata did brilliantly to recover an overhit cross, sliding in to regain possession before finding Ćaleta-Car, who headed home his first league goal for Les Gones.
Despite having further chances to break his duck for the season, Lacazette couldn’t find his shooting boots, and not long after he was subbed off, the visitors had an equaliser against the run of play.
A defensive lapse allowed Pol Lirola to race towards goal, keeping his composure to dink over Perri and level the scores with 20 minutes to play.
Ernest Nuamah then sent a strike narrowly wide as Lyon aimed to restore their lead, but incredibly, it was the 10-man visitors who snatched a late goal as Ulisses Garcia looped in Lirola’s searching cross.
Lyon thought they had earned a point when Rayan Cherki turned in from close range in stoppage time, but substitute Rowe had the last word with an unbelievable late strike to win it for Marseille with his first goal for the club.
As a result, Lyon lose for just a second time in seven Ligue 1 games at the Groupama Stadium, having suffered a second defeat in 16 H2Hs as hosts (W8, D7).
As for Marseille, the three points will feel even sweeter given the circumstances, extending their Ligue 1 winning streak on the road to four games and climbing to second in the table, level on points with PSG.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Pol Lirola (Olympique de Marseille)