Tops
Criticized at the start of the season for his poor performance, the Gabonese striker has become the fashionable hit on the Canebière in recent weeks. It’s quite simple: during his last four outings with OM, Aubameyang was decisive 10 times, scoring seven goals and providing three assists. Once again on Sunday evening, he was key in the Marseille attack. From the start of the match, he showed that he was not only skilled with his two feet by scoring with a powerful helmet kick (9th). His second goal was an opportunity to showcase his qualities of speed, already highlighted against Lyon last week (3-0 victory). He is not for nothing in Marseille’s rise in the rankings.
Thanks to this new victory, the fourth in all competitions, OM achieved a nice four in a row. After Ajax, Rennes and Lyon, it is the turn of Lorient to have been subject to Marseille law. A success which seems to validate, finally, the arrival of Gennaro Gattuso on the Marseille bench. The Italian coach could well have found his formula with this three-way defense (Mbemba/Gigot/Balerdi) and, above all, allows OM to move up to sixth place in the Ligue 1 standings. With Brest in their sights, the good surprise of the championship this season but especially Lille, who occupy fourth place synonymous with qualification for the Champions League. Four points separate the two teams, while OM will face Clermont and Montpellier during their next two meetings in the French championship.
The context was special for Benjamin Mendy on Sunday evening. Facing his former club, the new Lorient player played his first match as a starter with the Hake club. And the former citizen was not missed. After giving the Marseille defense a cold sweat in the first half (25th), he was decisive in the second and revived (a little) the suspense. Following a ball deflected by Lopez on a strike from Dieng, he scored his team’s second goal in Renard. A Mendy returning to his true level would do the greatest good for the Bretons, who occupy the play-off position.
Flops
At the start of this match, Régis Le Bris opted for a two-way tie with a Laporte-Talbi association, choosing to leave Touré on the bench. And the two friends were far from imperial this evening. Too often found wanting during Marseille attacks, they were eaten up in depth on several occasions by the Aubameyang-Vitinha duo. They also lost numerous heading duels, a failure which allowed OM to score twice in this register. Perhaps aware of his mistake, the Lorient coach made a change at the break, replacing Laporte with Touré. A profitable choice given the second half of his team.
As too often this season, Olympique de Marseille gave the impression of having remained in the Moustoir locker room. While Gattuso’s men struck 17 times in the first half for eight shots on target, they still had not lit a single fuse after half an hour of play in the second half. A second half which they also lost (1 to 0), and which could have proved even more dangerous if Pau Lopez had not pulled out all the stops. A performance sufficient to win against Lorient, but who will perhaps not be able to do so against the big names in the championship.