OM: match notes

It was no more than 3°C this evening in Saint-Etienne, but Olympique de Marseille set the Chaudron on fire. The first action of the game was on the Saint-Etienne side. The Greens recovered the ball on the left side and accelerated the play. Zuriko Davitashvili deceived the vigilance of a defender and attempted a mid-range shot towards the center of the goal, but Geronimo Rulli was well placed and easily pushed the ball away ( 3rd). But OM quickly returned to the match and appeared much more dominant. The Olympians thus logically opened the scoring in Saint-Étienne. Cornud covered Rabiot, who was perfectly served by Maupay's little dive with one touch. His sequence left no chance for Larsonneur (17th, 0-1). The French international thus scored his first goal of the season in the colors of his new club in Ligue 1. Subsequently, Quentin Merlin in turn proved dangerous in the opposing area. The defender sent a powerful ball to the far post. The Saint-Etienne goalkeeper made a superb save to get rid of the shot (28th). Always on the initiative, OM were awarded a nice free kick at the end of the first period. Murillo's shot was, however, too imprecise to worry Larsonneur (45th).

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Returning from the locker room, Marseille quickly regained their control of the game like the first period. Despite everything, we had to wait until the hour mark to see Roberto de Zerbi's men double the lead. After a logical fault, the Phocaeans were awarded a penalty. Greenwood rushed forward and hit his penalty from the right, but the Greens goalkeeper anticipated and pushed him away. However, he could do nothing to prevent the attacker from continuing the action and propelling his ball into an empty cage (65th, 0-2). At the end of the match, Marseille regained the advantage over AS Monaco thanks to their victory and was in 2nd place in the standings with 29 points. The Phocéens find themselves five lengths behind PSG, leader. On the other hand, Saint-Etienne continues its bad series and finds itself in the red zone. The club is currently 16th with 13 points and will have to raise its head against Toulouse next week.

Man of the match: Adrien Rabiot (8): the Duke is back in the foreground. Already dazzling during the victory against RC Lens, the former Juve midfielder proved this Sunday evening that he had returned to his best level. Regularly found by his partners, he made the Saint-Etienne block experience hell by breaking lines and slipping into free spaces. Served by Maupay, he opened the scoring with a beautiful volley on the edge of offside (17th). Very close to the break in stride (20th), he was again countered by Batubinsika near the Greens area (27th). Essential for OM (7 balls recovered), he continued his momentum after returning from the locker room despite a less obvious offensive impact.

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Saint-Etienne

– Larsonneur (6): Olivier Dall'Oglio can thank his goalkeeper, because without him, the bill could have been very steep. Of course, he conceded Adrien Rabiot's goal (17th, 0-1), but his defenders were too lax on Maupay and not attentive enough on their alignment. In the first period, he boxed Greenwood's corner (11th) and repelled Merlin's recovery (28th). In the second half, he intervened in front of Maupay and diverted Greenwood's new shot (49th). He won his duel from the penalty spot against the Englishman, before the Marseillais caught up (65th, 0-2).

– Appiah (3) : he made the work easier for Quentin Merlin. The 32-year-old, masked, was in difficulty facing the activity of the Marseille attacking left-back. Offensively, except for his knockdown for Davitashvili early in the match, he was nonexistent. A failed performance.

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– Science (3,5) : as is often the case against a mobile attacker, the Congolese international lacked sharpness. Neal Maupay's movements caused problems for him, but also for Abdelhamid. On the other hand, he was very clean in his transmissions, on the springs of Saint-Etienne balls.

– Abdelhamid (4): the Moroccan was not the Saint-Etienne defender who performed the worst. If Maupay's movements did not make the match easy for him, he did well by making some good interventions in his own area. On the other hand, it was more difficult when we had to carry the ball forward.

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– Petrot (2.5): complicated evening for the player trained in Saint-Étienne. Between his hazardous clearances and his less than reassuring interventions, he did not exude a lot of confidence. His multiple turnovers didn't help his teammates either. He notably provokes the 8th penalty against his team since the start of the season, by mowing down Greenwood in the area.

– Cornud (2) : It’s for posters like that that he was recruited this summer. However, the experienced left side will have been of no use in his left lane. Except to cover Adrien Rabiot on the Marseille opener and to facilitate the work of Luis Henrique and Mason Greenwood. Replaced by Ibrahim Sissoko (66th)who let his rage explode at the end of the match and received a yellow card.

– Bouchouari (3,5) : Dall'Oglio's idea of ​​exiling him to the right in the first period did not help much, apart from putting him in a bad mood. But even in a more axial position, it will not have had the expected influence. In the pressing or in the combativeness, it did not exist.

– Ekwah (3) : nonchalant, he struggled to make defensive efforts when OM moved forward. When the visitors passed through the axis, he did not oppose them to counter them, letting them, each time, pierce the middle of the field. Also note his excessive number of lost balls (10). Replaced by Florian Tardieu (89th).

– Mouton (3) : just like Ekwah, he had a nightmare evening against the Marseillais. On Rabiot's goal, he releases his marking on the French international, who can slip quietly behind his back. Of the 44 balls he touched during the match, he lost 14, proof of his poor technical quality and his poor contribution on the field. Replaced by Mathis Amougou (75e).

– Davitashvili (4) : what would AS Saint-Étienne do without him in attack? With each catch of the ball, with each acceleration, he gives the impression that the danger comes from him. From his very first ball, he is close to deceiving Rulli, but the Argentinian rejects his attempt (3rd). If he did not always face Murillo, the former Bordeaux player gave him a hard time, even forcing him to be supported to stop him.

– Stassi (1.5) : apart from his small deviation at the start of the match for Davitashvili on the Georgian's chance, the Belgian will have had another difficult evening. 10 balls touched, only one in the Marseille area and still no goal for Sainté. Frustrating… Replaced by Ayman Aiki (66e)whose long shot did not worry Rulli.

Marseille Olympic

– Roll (6.5) : quickly decisive on a strike from Davitashvili (3rd), the last bastion of OM finally had a very quiet match. Taking advantage of Marseille's domination, he was content to restart well, while communicating perfectly with his defense. Vigilant to cut off a tense cross after returning from the locker room (57th), he reassured his family about his rare interventions. A very serious match.

– Merlin (7) : aligned in a role of left piston, the former Nantes player showed constant activity. Solid defensively, the Marseille defender especially contributed on the offensive level by projecting himself on numerous occasions, like this attempt deflected by Batubinsika (10th) or this powerful strike repelled by Larsonneur (28th). A little less sharp after returning from the locker room, he was never worried. A very beautiful score. Replaced by Koum (79th)adorned with number 33 and author of his first professional appearance with OM.

– Balerdi (7): captain of the evening, the Argentinian defender had a very quiet evening. In control, OM number 5 perfectly managed the movements of the Stéphanois offensive players and never failed. Solid in the air, precise in his transmissions, he was at the origin of the penalty caused by Greenwood by finding the Briton with a long, precise cross (64th). A very clean copy.

– Kondogbia (6,5) : established in the defense of three Olympians, the Central African was rarely called upon during the first act. Authoritarian and well aligned with his defensive companions, he worked to direct the game well to launch the Marseille attacks. Placed back in the midfield after the appearance of Cornelius, he adapted perfectly.

– Murillo (7) : in a role of third central defender, the Panamanian held his position very well. Impeccable defensively, he perfectly controlled the rare Saint-Etienne offensives. Author of a free kick off target just before the break (45th), he remained calm when returning from the locker room to control the timid offensive actions of ASSE (4 duels won out of 4 contested, 7 balls recovered).

– Rabiot (8) : see above

– Höjbjerg (7) : essential pillar of OM since the start of the season, the Danish international once again shone at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard. Imperial in the duel and author of several sharp breakthroughs, he constantly destabilized the Stéphanois. As a leader, he once again dictated the pace, showing serenity at all times. Quiet strength.

– Rongier (7,5) : once again aligned in a double pivot role alongside PEH, the former FC Nantes player delivered a very serious performance at the end of this 14th day of Ligue 1. In the right areas, he well squared the intentions of game of the Greens by recovering precious balls (6). Solid in the duel (60% success) and often carried forward, he allowed his team to win the midfield battle, while offering this freedom to Rabiot. Author of a dangerous strike, close to deceiving Larsonneur (49th), he did not calculate his efforts until his exit. Replaced by Wahi (69th)very discreet in the last minutes of this meeting, except for two strikes (79th, 87th).

– Greenwood (8) : initially aligned in a much more central position, the former Manchester United player brought to the front of the Marseille attack. After a first strike was pushed back (31st), he used his technique to sow discord in the Saint-Etienne defense. Not always successful in the last gesture, his activity nevertheless considerably hampered Olivier Dall'Oglio's troops (6 balls recovered). Still active after the break, where he found his right wing, he damaged Cornud and Pétrot before causing a penalty and making the break by transforming it into two stages (65th). Yet another full match. Replaced by Brassier (90+1e).

– Fatigue (7.5) : still preferred to Wahi to start this meeting at the forefront of the Marseille attack, the scorer who played for Everton and Brighton confirmed his current good disposition. Often found by his partners, he shone in his back-to-goal play and his clever discounts. A decisive passer on the opening score after a superb swooping pass (17th), he was caught at the last minute as he headed alone for the goal (21st). A little more discreet after the break, he gave up his place. Replaced by Cornelius (69th)back in the competition and rigorous at the end of the match.

– Luis Henrique (7) : present in a role of right piston, or even right winger in view of the Olympian domination, the Brazilian was not the most visible during the first period. Rather discreet, he nevertheless worked well on the defensive level and left little space for Davitashvili. Returning from the locker room, he quickly stood out with a tense cross towards Maupay (49th). Not sparkling, the Auriverde will nevertheless have worked well while being technically correct. Replaced by Rowe (90+1st).