Marseille moved back into second place in the Ligue 1 Uber Eats table thanks to an emphatic 4-2 win over Saint-Etienne on Sunday, inching ahead of Rennes in the race for automatic UEFA Champions League group stage qualification.
THE MATCH
Heavy snowfall had delayed the game by 24 hours, but it was worth the wait for OM fans, even if the capacity crowd at the Stade Geoffory Guichard might not see it that way.
Their side, starting the game in the relegation/promotion play-off spot but unbeaten in three league games, needed Paul Bernardoni to keep out Dimitri Payet from close range (5'), but then found themselves ahead soon after.
Denis Bouanga outmuscled Sead Kolasinac as the pair chased down a long ball, and the Gabon international's shot squeezed through the grip of Pau Lopez and into the net (9') to give the hosts an early, unexpected lead.
The former Nîmes forward's sixth league goal of the season gave Saint-Etienne hope of extending their four-game unbeaten run at home, but no team has travelled as well as Marseille in 2021/22 and Jorge Sampaoli's side battled their way back into it.
Boubacar Kamara fired over (34') and Matteo Guendouzi called Bernardoni into action again (38') before VAR helped referee Clement Turpin disallow a Bouanga strike for offside (43') and then almost immediately spot a foul by Eliaquim Mangala on Duje Caleta-Car at a corner (45'). Against his former club, Payet powerfully drove home his spot-kick (45+2') and moved into double figures for goals in Ligue 1 Uber Eats this term.
Payet (51') and Bamba Dieng (58') both had chances to add to the score before Timothée Kolodziejczak did so by putting through his own goal. Amine Harit found Dieng whose pass dropped for Valentin Rongier, and though the former Nantes man's shot was parried by Bernardoni, Kolodziejczak miscued his attempted clearance into his own net (60').
Eight minutes later, it was three as Dieng tucked away OM's second penalty of the game after Gerson had been fouled by Arnaud Nordin (68'), and Harit snapped up number four following a fine pass from Guendouzi (73').
Lucas Gourna-Douath pulled one back late on (86'), but while Saint-Etienne remain in trouble, OM are now three points clear of Rennes in second place.
THE PLAYER: Matteo Guendouzi
The on-loan Arsenal man registered a sixth league assist of the season to cap another excellent individual performance.
THE STAT: 33
Marseille have collected a club record 33 points from 15 away games in Ligue 1 Uber Eats this season.
