Mathieu Warnier, Media365: published on Sunday January 5, 2025 at 11:35 p.m.
Discover our tops and our flops following Marseille's victory against Le Havre (5-1) this Sunday on the pitch at the Orange Vélodrome during the closing match of the 16th day of Ligue 1.
The tops
Nadir took his chance
It was the surprise reserved by Roberto de Zerbi for this match. Bilal Nadir started in midfield in the absence of Pierre-Emile Højbjerg. Although he only played the first period, the young Moroccan player showed himself by making the break a few minutes before the break. Warned shortly before returning to the locker room for a sole on André Ayew, it was undoubtedly as a precaution that he was replaced by Ismaël Koné at the restart. However, his performance allowed him to score points.
Ayew, the only clearing in Le Havre
In an evening which saw almost no smiles in Le Havre, André Ayew gave a little smile to the HAC supporters… and to those of OM. Having had little opportunity to shine, the Ghanaian was able to find the fault on his only attempt of the match, softening the score a little for the Norman club. After almost apologizing for scoring against his former team, he received the acclaim of the Marseille public before giving way to Aloïs Confais for the end of the match.
Merlin at work
In a role of right piston which suits him very well, Quentin Merlin did not hesitate to push on his side. Precise in transmissions, the former Nantais player provided two assists even if he could have done better in the center exercise. However, he will have confirmed his status as an indisputable holder in this crucial position in the tactical system put in place by Roberto de Zerbi before giving way to Ulisses Garcia for the last 20 minutes.
The flops
Housni transparent
Aligned at the forefront of the HAC attack, Ilyes Housni was not there. Having very few balls to play, the player loaned by PSG will not have weighed on a very serene Marseille rearguard. This resulted in a single shot off target and an anecdotal contribution to his team's performance. Antoine Joujou took over very early in the second period, without doing much better.
Zouaoui suffered
On the left of a five-element defense, Yanis Zouaoui was put in difficulty by the Marseille offensive sector during this heavy defeat conceded by Le Havre. If he tried for a time to add more in attack, he was mainly dominated in the rare duels played and was unable to find his attackers when crossing. The 26-year-old defender performed well below what was expected by his coach.
Pembélé heckled
This evening will be one to forget for Timothée Pembélé. The Le Havre defender, also on loan from PSG, showed his limits against a fiery Marseille attack. Having no say in the duels, he achieved almost nothing in his defensive interventions, further weakening a trio of central defenders who were all in trouble during this meeting. He will have to raise the bar if he wants to maintain significant playing time.
