Like an air of déjà vu, with the same actors and the same scorers, Rabiot and Greenwood, Olympique de Marseille easily qualified for the round of 16 of the Coupe de France after easily beating, 0-4a harmless Saint-Étienne, awaiting the arrival of its new coach, Horneland, and already diminished in the first half because of the absurd expulsion of Sissoko. The Marseille team ends a tumultuous year with a well-established project, guided by the philosophy of the brilliant Roberto de Zerbi.
The match was almost over in the first halfafter theexpulsion of Sissokowho attacked Balerdi and, without the ball, pushed him away with a sudden gesture. Although the referee had his back, informed by his assistants, he did not hesitate for a moment to send off the Saint-Étienne striker, in complete disarray in Ligue 1 and unable to compete during the first 45 minutes.
Saint-Étienne barely had time to digest Sissoko's red card. On the action immediately after the expulsion, Greenwood, who needed practically nothing to shoot, opened the score to 0-1. Marseille, already superior in numbers, dominated their opponent until the final whistle.
There was even time, before the break, for Rabiot, with a shot from the right, sends a corner into the back of the net. This midfielder has become, in just three months, the most essential player in De Zerbi's system, continually creating chances and covering a large part of the pitch. The 0-2, which clearly illustrates Marseille's superiority, further undermined Saint-Étienne in difficulty.
Playing against an opponent with ten players can encourage relaxation. Marseille actually relaxed and gave some hope to Saint-Étienne, who missed two glaring chancesone thanks to an extremis rescue from Balerdi, and finally gave up, helpless. Taking advantage of their defensive fragility, an aspect present throughout the match, Luis Henrique strikes the final blow to Les Vertsfollowing a second action that the Rhône club was unable to defend. Hojbjerg then scored the final 0-4allowing Marseille to end the year in style.
Ultimately, this encounter highlights the importance of strict discipline on the pitch and the potential consequences of lapse in concentration. Olympique de Marseille seems to have found a winning formula, but the rest of the season will require maintaining this level of efficiency. What will be the repercussions on the morale of Saint-Étienne and its ability to return to form? The discussion is open.
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