It was an evening not to be missed in the race for the title, and the Olympians performed in a well-filled Vélodrome but without its northern turn, sanctioned by a total closed session. In the wake of its heavy setback against the Reds (0-3) in C1, OM were expected to turn the corner against an artesian team that has been successful in recent times, and they have regained some of their splendor, while awaiting qualification for the Champions League play-offs on Wednesday (9 p.m.) in Bruges.
Roberto De Zerbi’s men made the task easy by folding the game after just 13 minutes, time for Amine Gouiri to score his third goal in Ligue 1 (3rd) then for rookie Ethan Nwaneri to score with a nice curl (13th).
“Without consistency, we cannot compete”
In the standings, with 38 points, the Marseillais carried out the right operation by distancing themselves from their pursuers from Lyon and Lille. Above all, they came back five lengths from Lens (43 points), and seven from PSG (45), now leader. The clasico scheduled for February 8 at the Parc des Princes thus takes a decisive turn in the fight for the coronation.
After the match, Roberto De Zerbi, however, did not want to come forward: “It’s still a long championship. We have to play all the matches like tonight. If we keep this intensity, we will be competitive. But if we alternate between good and bad performances, then the criticism will be justified. Without consistency, you can’t compete.”
With a well-endowed squad, OM will nevertheless have to juggle between the championship, the Coupe de France – on February 3 against Rennes – and the C1.
In Ligue 1, the Phocéens will benefit from a significant advantage: except PSG, they will host Strasbourg (February 14), OL (March 1), Lille (March 22) and even Rennes (May 16).
On the Sang et Or side, the convincing series of ten victories in ten matches ended last night, but the whole club was hardly falling into panic. “This leader’s chair was comfortable: we were very comfortable in it (smile). The fact of having lost does not call into question our objective (qualify for the European Cup), nor everything good we have done since the start of the season, pointed out Pierre Sage. We will lose other matches, I am sure of it. And you will have to reproduce a performance each time. What is important for us is the next match (against Le Havre on Friday). We want to apply for a European qualification. »
For his part, midfielder Adrien Thomasson supported: “We are lucky not to play in the European Cup, we have the championship and the Cup but we have one match per week most of the time: it’s an advantage and it will play a role. We know very well that it is difficult to compete over an entire season with the big teams like PSG or OM, but we are here and we have earned our place. We are coming off a series of ten victories in a row: it is something exceptional. Series are made to end, this is the case tonight (read saturday). »
With a good margin over the competition, Florian Thauvin’s partners can also look forward to the future with optimism, before a possibly pivotal month of April: Lens will travel to Lille before hosting PSG. In any case, the fight for the title should a priori play out well between the three entities, even if the capital club logically starts as the favorite.
