Tops
It is a metamorphosed Vitinha who has been delighting Olympian supporters since the start of the season. Arrived last winter for 32 million euros, expectations were high around the Portuguese often criticized for his lack of efficiency in front of goal. This year, in addition to being regularly decisive, the former player of Braga is at the origin of most of the chances of the Marseillais. Still in the fight, the 23-year-old center forward is a real poison for those who cross his path. All that was obviously missing was a second striker or strong competition to wake up Vitinha who has made enormous physical progress in a few months.
He is indeed the providential man for the Canaries at the start of the season. Already a double scorer against Monaco a week ago, the Pharaoh once again made his class speak in front of goal against OM. All he needs is a ball to shake the nets, Pau Lopez understood that well. Already author of four goals this year, the 25-year-old center forward is a delight for his audience. Against Marseille, the Egyptian did like a great. Not very well served by Moses Simon, the former Galatasaray got back in the direction of the goal and allowed his team to equalize after a great sequence (39th). Leaving the Marseille defense behind. On his own, he brought Pierre Aristouy his first two points of the season.
Like their goalkeeper Remy Descamps (8 saves) and his defense stunned but not shot in numerical inferiority from the tenth minute of play. Led from the start of the game against the onslaught of Olympians and reduced to ten against eleven a few minutes later, Aristouy’s men never lowered their heads. Coming out of nowhere thanks to Mostafa Mohamed, the Canaries then defended the iron all together to keep the point of draw.
Flops
He was about to experience one of the most beautiful evenings of his life. Bastien Meupiyou started his first match at 17 in the Canaris jersey in front of his home crowd in a busy Beaujoire. The French international U17 also made a superb first intervention from the first seconds of play on Vitinha which foreshadowed a good start for the minot. But after only 9 minutes of play, his evening turned into a nightmare. Abandoned by his partners, Bastien Meupiyou found himself alone in pursuit of a Sarr launched to score a double. Without thinking, the young tricolor destroyed the opportunity by illegally stopping the Senegalese. Ruddy Buquet did not hesitate to take out the red, reducing Nantes to 10 against 11 for the rest of the meeting.
Yet well on his feet and full of good initiatives at the start of the match, Joaquim Correa was unable to be decisive for his first in the jersey of OM. The Argentinian international wasted too much in front of goal and too often forgot his partners in the final meters. Upon returning from the locker room, the former Inter player lost his footing. Too fair physically and technically, the 29-year-old striker lost a lot of balls and endangered his defense. Before logically giving way to Iliman Ndiaye (64th), he drove his partner Renan Lodi crazy by neglecting the defensive folds. The former Atlético full-back often found himself completely alone in defense against the ardor of the Nantes right flank.