Established by Roberto De Zerbi during OM's great success against Le Havre this Sunday in Ligue 1 (5-1), Bilal Nadir took the opportunity to score the first goal of his career. Intense joy for the 21-year-old midfielder, victim of a serious knee injury last year.
A Nice number in the area concluded with a cross shot from the left. Bilal Nadir had an unforgettable moment during OM's great success against Le Havre, this Sunday, at the end of the sixteenth day of Ligue 1 (5-1). Started by Roberto De Zerbi to compensate for the withdrawal of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (ill), the 21-year-old midfielder scored the second goal of the evening shortly before half-time. The first of his professional career. Intense joy for the Moroccan international Espoirs, seriously injured in his left knee in January 2024 during a Coupe de France match against Stade Rennais.
After the match, the native of Nice came to share his emotion with the press in the mixed zone of the Vélodrome: “I am very happy for the team's victory. We had looked at the results before, it was important to win to maintain our second match and then move on. I am happy for that and to have scored my first goal in the colors of Olympique de Marseille. I thank the team and the coach for everything.
“I hope it won’t be the last.”
Asked about his contained celebration on the pitch, Bilal Nadir gave a small smile to the journalists. “It’s true that I have difficulty externalizing things,” admitted the man who joined the Marseille club during the summer of 2021. “I had difficult times, especially last year. Tonight, It's a liberation. I'm really happy, I hope it won't be the last. In any case, it's a lot of pleasure and a lot of pride.”
The evaluation of Marseille – Le Havre / Rongier, man of the match? – 05/01
At the time of his goal, the number 26 of OM was joined by all his partners, who warmly congratulated him. “It’s extremely pleasing, because these are players who have been there for me,” he relishes. “During my injury, they were often there asking me for news, coming to talk to me. When I started again, they were the first to put their trust in me, with the staff too. It's the most beautiful thing about celebrate with the collective.”
“There is competition which is really healthy”
After coming into play three times since the end of November, in Lens (1-3), against Monaco (2-1) and against Lille (1-1), Bilal Nadir hopes to capitalize on this first successful start to play a real role during the second part of the OM season. “Everyone works well on a daily basis. There is competition which is really healthy. The choices are made by the coach. Isma (Ismaël Koné) came in for me at half-time and I am happy for him too. At the start of the year, I didn't expect to play so much, but today I'm happy with that and I'm going to do everything I can to continue.
Alexandre Jaquin with F.Ge
