Marseille sign a draw against Lorient

OM again lost points in the race for the Champions League on Sunday evening by concluding their meeting with Lorient 0-0.

By IM with AFP

Draw between Marseille and Lorient Sunday, April 9.
© Marc OLLIVIER / MAXPPP / PHOTOPQR/WEST FRANCE/MAXPPP

Published on 04/09/2023 at 23h23

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L’Olympique de Marseille, clinging to Lorient (0-0), could not win a ninth victory in a row away from home and find themselves two points behind Lens (2^e), Sunday April 9, closing the 30^e day of Ligue 1. Monaco also lost points after their match against Nantes (2-2). On the other hand, Lyon’s victory against Rennes (3-1) kept OL’s hopes alive.

At the end of the weekend, only two top 5 teams can smile: Paris SG, still the leader with a 6-point lead after their victory on Saturday in Nice (2-0), and RC Lens, now only second in the standings. after his success on Friday against Strasbourg (2-1). The capital club and its runner-up will face off next Saturday at the Parc des Princes for the match at the top of the 31^e daytime.

Lyon rubs his hands

For the other candidates for the Champions League, the rhythm is difficult to keep up. OM are the first to suffer, with this second draw in a row which makes them fall two lengths behind the Sang et Or. In Brittany, the Marseillais did not find the fault during a meeting without revolt. They could even have given in, especially on an attempt by their former striker Bamba Dieng, repelled by Pau Lopez (63^e). Pablo Longoria’s club, perhaps turned upside down by the drama of the collapse of a building in the Marseille city on the night of Saturday to Sunday, therefore remains on the bottom step of the podium, even if it retains its three points ahead of Monaco.

ASM, in fact, did not keep up the pace at La Beaujoire despite a two-goal lead at half-time. On the heels of their qualification for the final of the Coupe de France, Wednesday against Lyon (1-0), the Canaries and their public regained the upper hand in the second half, and the inevitable Ludovic Blas ended up equalizing in the 78^e minute to give the FCN five points ahead of the red zone. “We are clearly leaving La Beaujoire with a bitter feeling”, railed on Canal + Axel Disasi, disappointed scorer for Monaco, who also lets slip precious points.

Desperate for elimination in the semi-finals of the Cup, Lyon can rub their hands in front of these results, after having signed a second success in a row in Ligue 1. After Paris SG (1-0), OL dominated the Stade Rennes at the end of a stunning second period, and advanced at the end of the weekend to 7^e rank, with chances still intact to hang the 5^esynonymous with qualification for the Europa League Conference.

“Always believe in sport”

“You always have to believe in sport and in life,” reacted coach Laurent Blanc, so satisfied with his team’s second half that he did not make the slightest change. This success allows the Rhodaniens to come back to three lengths behind their opponents in the evening, sixth. And the defeat of the 5^eLille, in Angers on Saturday (1-0), gives them even more reason to believe in it.

In the fight to maintain, Ajaccio and Troyes have, for their part, fewer and fewer arguments on which to rely for their end of the season. The Corsicans (19^es) were largely dominated (3-0) by a direct competitor, Auxerre (15^e): the two teams are now separated by eight points.

Estac also lost at home, against Clermont (2-0), and stagnated at 18^e rank, ahead of Ajaccio and Angers and behind Strasbourg, beaten Friday by Lens (2-1). At 16^e row, Brest almost carried out a superb operation, but Reims equalized on penalty at the end of the game (1-1). And, in the middle of the classification, Toulouse overtook Montpellier by winning 2-1 in the Hérault.