Saturday 26 September 2009

 Valenciennes FC / Olympique de Marseille : 3 - 2

The OM coach had promised that Ligue 1 would see more of Fernando Morientes when the Spaniard was ready, and the ex-Real Madrid and Monaco forward responded to being handed his first start with his maiden goal in OM colours after just 13 minutes.

The strike sparked a glut of three more goals in the next 17 minutes as the balance of the match swung back and forth violently.

OM's advantage lasted just seven minutes with Milan Bisevac levelling after Steve Mandanda and the Marseille rearguard had failed to deal with Rudy Mater's corner.

The visitors, though, edged back in front on 23 minutes – Mamadou Niang claiming his fifth goal of the season after VA keeper Guy Rolland Ndy Assembe had parried a Morientes header invitingly into his path.

Schmitz strike

Having got their noses in front, Marseille again proved incapable of holding onto their lead, and Valenciennes were level before the half-hour mark. Johan Audel skipped by left-back Cyril Rool before delivering a cross that David Ducourtioux dived full-length to head past Mandanda.

Niang and Brandao both narrowly missed the target in the second half before Lucho Gonzalez brought a fine stop from Ndy Assembe, who provided the platform for the hosts to claim all three points.

With their defence holding firm, VA finally picked a way through from a well-delivered set-piece seven minutes from time. Renaud Cohade's free-kick found Rafael Schmitz rising highest, and the Brazilian's well-placed header beat Mandanda to give Philippe Montanier's men their third win in a four-match unbeaten run.

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