Marseille missed out on a chance to make up some ground on the top three as Simon Banza got the only goal of the game at the Stade Vélodrome to give Lens a 1-0 win in the duo's rearranged fixture on Wednesday.
THE MATCH
Defeated by Nîmes last time out — ending a seven-game unbeaten run at the Vélodrome — Andre Villas-Boas' side had won just one of their previous seven league games and seen their ambitions of a top-three finish fade. But Lens had picked up just one point from three 2021 outings, and with Florian Thauvin in particular looking sharp, OM attempted to impose themselves from the off.
The hosts, however, were unable to find a way through, and it took a fine Duje Caleta-Car challenge on Banza to prevent the Lens forward going one-on-one with goalkeeper Steve Mandanda (26') as OM's frailties resurfaced.
Better control from Banza would have given him a good opportunity inside the OM penalty area (29'), and when Valentin Rongier was forced off with injury — replaced by Michaël Cuisance — Villas-Boas' night was not going according to the pre-match plan.
Seko Fofana opened the second period with a curling effort that flirted with the top corner (49'), and then screwed a long-distance shot wide (51') as the visitors visibly grew in confidence. OM, who had just one attempt at goal in the first half, looked far from the side which had found the net in its previous eight Ligue 1 Uber Eats home games.
Banza stretched Mandanda with a low shot (57') just before he found a way beyond the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner: Massadio Haidara's ball in from the left found Banza, who had gotten in front of Caleta-Car to power a downward header past Mandanda (59').
The introduction of Dimitri Payet after the hour-mark failed to spark the hosts. The former France international did send a free-kick just over Jean-Louis Leca's bar (80'), but Arnaud Kalimuendo had late chances to add to the scoreline only for Mandanda to deny the on-loan Paris Saint-Germain forward (85', 90+1') as Banza's third league goal of the season proved enough to give Lens their first win over OM in six 21st century encounters.
THE PLAYER: Simon Banza
The rangy forward proved a real handful for the OM rearguard, both in the air and on the ground. Might have had more than the matchwinning goal, but an impressive all-round performance.
STAT: 86
Marseille did not get a shot on target until Nemanja Radonjic's 86th-minute effort that was comfortably saved by Leca.
