By winning (2-1) in Nantes, Marseille overtook Monaco on goal difference to position themselves as runners-up to the leader, Paris SG, on Sunday at the end of the 10th day of Ligue 1.
After the surprise defeat of the Monegasques at home on Friday against the poorly ranked Angers (0-1), OM did not let the opportunity slip away and has 20 points, like the Rouge et blanc, but already six lengths behind the club of the capital.
For the Canaries (14th), on the other hand, this seventh match without a victory brings them even closer to the red zone from which they only escape thanks to a better goal difference than Angers (15th) and Saint-Etienne ( 16th), both winners this week as well as Le Havre, 17th with 9 units.
If the essential is obtained with victory, there will be a lot to say about the performance of Roberto de Zerbi’s men against a very weak opponent who was not that far from obtaining something in this match without really deserving it.
Certainly, Marseille had the ball for almost 80% of the time, but their domination was still quite sterile overall.
Even more annoying, Marseille almost never collectively put their opponent out of position, the majority of their chances coming from flashes from their wingers Jonathan Rowe and Mason Greenwood.
On the opening score, Rowe fixed Marcus Coco well and delivered a strong fleeing cross that neither Alban Lafont nor Nicolas Pallois were able to intercept, unlike Neal Maupay who threw himself for his second goal of the season (0-1, 24th).
Feverish Kondogbia
The second goal came from a low strike from Greenwood at the edge of the area (1-2, 61st), while the ex-Red Devil had already lit the first fuse from an almost similar position , after a solo number, from the ninth minute.
We will also credit the Marseillais with Mostafa Mohamed’s header on his own crossbar, from a corner (29th) and a shot from Rabiot from 18 meters in front of the goal which Lafont seems to have deflected slightly onto his left post (83rd) but it’s ultimately very little.
This is all the less so since, defensively, the southerners did not exude serenity, like an often feverish Geoffrey Kondogbia.
This was the case on a missed header which turned into a perfect deflection for Tino Kadewere whose lob was repelled by Geronimo Rulli, well out (36th).
In the 67th minute, he was also the one who had a ball stolen from his feet 25 meters from his goal by Kadewere but the Zimbabwean, alone against Rulli, opened his foot too much and the ball slipped into the clouds.
We can also note the astonishing passivity of Marseille – perhaps caused precisely by their almost undivided domination until then – on the Nantes goal, Marcus Coco having plenty of time to adjust an excellent brushed cross for a superb uncrossed recovery of Kadewere (1-1, 39th).
If we add a recovery from Mohamed from six meters, in the trajectory of which the Argentine goalkeeper was very happy to find himself (65th), we realize that the match could very well have ended differently, as unfair as that would have been. .
Nantes striker Tino Kadewere during the Ligue 1 match against Marseille at the La Beaujoire stadium on November 3, 2024 in Nantes / Damien Meyer / AFP
It now remains for Marseille to ensure when they receive Auxerre, a very fit promotion, from Friday at the Vélodrome, to offer themselves an international break as second in the championship, while Nantes will have a perilous trip to Lens on Saturday.
