2023-12-03 23:59:55
OM scored their second victory of the week and their first success in Ligue 1 in almost two months on Sunday by winning 2-0 against Rennes, who were completely harmless and who are back on track after two positive results.
The recovery is not yet very spectacular and OM remains 9th in the ranking, far from where it would have liked to be after 14 days. But Gennaro Gattuso’s team has been waiting for this success in the championship since October 8 and the arrival of Le Havre and they will be able to be satisfied with it.
Especially since the Marseillais have just scored two victories in a row for the first time this season, with the exception of a series at the beginning of August against Reims and Panathinaikos, against whom the success (2-1) did not was not enough to avoid elimination on penalties.
By beating Ajax Amsterdam on Thursday (4-3) then Rennes on Sunday, OM managed the start of their perilous series of three home games well. He still has the reception of Lyon on Wednesday in a late match to confirm, perhaps, a real revival.
In the meantime, Thursday’s victory against Ajax had not yet calmed everything down and the Marseillais were welcomed by a few protest banners deployed in the North Bend, but without whistles.
There is one all the same to whom Thursday’s success did good, it is Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Author of a hat-trick against Ajax, the Gabonese scored again on Sunday, opening the scoring in the 8th minute with his third successful penalty of the week.
This was obtained by Iliman Ndiaye, cut down by Christopher Wooh after a one-two with Azzedine Ounahi and the only good action, or almost, of the first period.
– At 10 against 10 –
Rennes goalkeeper and former Om Steve Mandanda on December 3, 2023 at the Stade Vélodrome / AFP
For the rest, the first 45 minutes were disappointing on both sides, technically mediocre and without intensity. In Rennes, Martin Terrier simply stood out with a shot over the top (16th), while OM fell back a lot, nevertheless sometimes remaining threatening on the counterattack.
The rest was initially the same, with an avalanche of overly long passes, lost crosses and questionable choices. But without being brilliant, very far from it, OM seemed to control the situation against the very weak Rennais (12th) while Julien Stephan’s first two matches on the bench – two victories – had given rise to some hopes.
The match finally turned in the 60th minute when Wooh, who definitely missed his evening, was sent off for a dangerous tackle on Geoffrey Kondogbia.
Five minutes later, OM actually increased the score via Azzedine Ounahi, scorer (2-0, 65th) on a great personal action, a nice slalom in the heart of the complacent Rennes defense then a powerful strike under the bar. Steve Mandanda.
The match ended 10 against 10 as Ndiaye was in turn sent off for a nasty foul on Jeanuël Belocian, but that did not make the Bretons more dangerous, Pau Lopez just watching a few shots go over of its transversal.
OM therefore completed the affair without trembling and we can think that they are doing better. But we will only be able to be really sure of this on Wednesday after the visit of Lyon, another major player in the championship.
#Ligue #Marseille #bounces #Rennes #dives