In many championships and for many clubs, getting back on track after the holidays is sometimes complicated. For OM, who resume their journey on Sunday evening against Le Havre, these restarts are going well overall, especially recently. A look back at the last ten returns from the winter break, where we talk more often about the transfer window than about a trap match.
The Coupe de France, the trap par excellence!
In the last 10 post-winter break matches, OM have resumed 8 times with the 32nd final of the Coupe de France. Matches where Ligue 1 clubs are chased away by little-known teams who have only been thinking about this event for several weeks. The outcome of these matches is not really as positive as it seems. If OM qualified 6 times out of 8, four times they had to go through extra time, or even penalties, to get out of the quagmire! In 2015 and 2019, OM completely missed its recovery by being eliminated by amateur clubs, Grenoble and Andrézieux-Bouthéon…
In 2016OM relies on a great Steve Mandanda on the Caen pitch, in a match which will end on penalties (0-0, tab).
The following season, in 2017it is a twirling Rémy Cabella, author of a double, who will qualify OM for the next round in overtime on the pitch in Toulouse (1-2, overtime).
Twice repeated en 2018with great difficulty eliminating Valenciennes, although then in Ligue 2, at the Vélodrome (1-0, extra time). On a very good cross from Clinton Njie, Jordan Amavi then scored his first goal in the Marseille jersey.
In 2019, what had been hanging over OM's nose for several seasons happened. The Olympians came through at Geoffroy-Guichard against Andrézieux-Bouthéon (2-0), a 4th division club (see below).
A debacle which is reminiscent of that under the orders of Marcelo Bielsa in Grenoble in 2015 (3-3, tab, see below).
In 2020OM are once again in difficulty on the Limoges pitch against Trélissac. We had to go to penalties to get through it. We also remember that that day, Lucas Perrin did not hesitate to take his responsibilities and go and strike during this session.
In 2022Jorge Sampaoli's men did not suffer at all, finally a normal match one would be tempted to say. A perfect success on the Chauvigny pitch (0-3), with a nice opening score from Arkadiusz Milik.
Last seasonit was more laborious, but Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, launched deep by Jordan Veretout, scored the only goal of the match against Thionville on the hour mark (see below).
In the championship, OM does not tremble!
In what could look like OM-Le Havre on paper, OM hosted a Ligue 1 match twice after the holidays. December 2022OM crushed Toulouse (6-1, see below).
In January 2021OM had also dominated Montpellier (3-1, see below).
Summary of the last 10 post-holiday matches
8 Victories for OM (including 2 in overtime and 2 on penalties), 2 defeats (including 1 on penalties).
| Saison | Competition | Opponent | Score | OM scorers |
| 23/24 | Coupe | Thionville Lusitanos (N3) (ext) | 0-1 | Aubameyang |
| 22/23 | Ligue 1 | Toulouse (dom) | 6-1 | Rongier, Nicolaisen (csc), Kolasinac, Payet, Under, Tavares |
| 21/22 | Coupe | Chauvigny (ext) | 0-3 | Milik, Under, Harit |
| 20/21 | Ligue 1 | Montpellier (dom) | 3-1 | Radonjic, Payet, Germain |
| 19/20 | Coupe | Trélissac (N2) (ext) | 1-1 (2-4 tab) | Payet |
| 18/19 | Coupe | Andrézieux-Bouthéon (N2) (ext) | 2-0 | – |
| 17/18 | Coupe | Valenciennes (L2) (dom) | 1-0 (ap) | The knees |
| 16/17 | Coupe | Toulouse (L1) (ext) | 1-2 (ap) | Cabella (x2) |
| 15/16 | Coupe | Caen (L1) (ext) | 0-0 (1-3 tab) | – |
| 14/15 | Coupe | Grenoble (N2) (ext) | 3-3 (5-4 tab) | Gignac (x2), A.No |
2019: Andrézieux-Bouthéon, to announce what would follow…
A team without soul, a coach in distress who had just extended his contract a few weeks earlier. A president in denial. This first match of 2019 was a real disaster for OM Rudi Garcia et Jacques-Henri Eyraud to Geoffroy Guichard against the modest formation of Andrézieux-Bouthéon, who taught a lesson to the Olympian formation, the image of a Duje Caleta-Car totally in the west. At the end of the match, the timing allowed for the dismissal of Rudi Garcia, to try to save a season that would end badly, but Jacques-Henri Eyraud, right in his boots, chose instead to reaffirm his support for his coach. The harder the fall will be.
OM's eleven against Andrézieux
Mandanda – Sarr, Rolando, Caleta-Car, Amavi – Sanson (Radonjic, 83e), L.Gustavo (Strootman, 46e) – Thauvin, Payet (Lopez, 64e), Ocampos – Germain
Goals: Ngwabije (17th), Milla (82nd) for Andrézieux-Bouthéon.
2015: Grenoble, the first grain of sand in the machine
L'OM de Marcelo Bielsa delight, to the point of finishing fall champion. The first match following this observation took place at the very beginning of January, in the cold of Grenoble, a demoted club which then tried to climb back up. A 4th division formation with some solid arguments, but which should not shake the great OM of Bielsa. And yet…
In a match with a slightly crazy scenario, André-Pierre Gignac opens the score after a very nice solitary raid. But Grenoble immediately equalizes on a well-executed counterattack. We then say to ourselves that it will not be as simple as expected. Gignac regains the advantage before the break. Upon resumption, Brice Samba commits a double error on an innocuous shot, allowing Grenoble to return to 2-2. OM will not succeed before extra time, where André Ayew will finally find the fault. But at the last second, the Grenoble captain placed a superb header on a cross from the right, offering his supporters a penalty shootout. This will be fatal to the Olympians, with the failure of Florian Thauvin in this exercise. A departure far from ideal to launch the return phase…
OM's eleven against Grenoble
Samba – Lemina (52nd), Fanni (71st), Nkoulou – Morel (Romao), Rain – Thauvin, Batshuayi, Payet – Gignac (A.Ayew, 62nd)
Buts: Gignac (6e, 33e), A.Ayew (98e); Nasrallah (10e), Hachi (48e), Bengriba (120e)
2024: Annoyed by the CAN, OM does the job against Thionville
Gennaro Gattuso's OM are doing badly, plunged into a season full of problems. However, in Metz against Thionville in the 32nd final of the Coupe de France, the match went rather well, even if, in the game, it was far from perfect, with very few chances created. All it took was one action. On a very nice deep pass from Jordan Veretout, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyanglaunched on the edge of offside, scored the only goal of the match on the hour mark. A qualification which feels good, while a worrying month of January looms, with many Olympians gone to the CAN…
OM's eleven against Thionville
Blanco – Murillo, Meité, Gigot, Balerdi, Lodi (Clauss, 46e) – Nadir (Henrique, 82e), Kondogbia, Veretout – Vitinha (Soglo, 92e), Aubameyang
But : Aubameyang (62e)
2023: OM has fun against Toulouse for boxing day!
Under the orders of Igor Tudor, OM did not have a Christmas break after the World Cup in Qatar. At the end of December 2022, the reception in Toulouse is the occasion for an incredible offensive festival!
Carried by an impeccable collective, the Marseillais crushed Toulouse. To start this improbable evening, it's Valentin Rongierwho scores so little, who opened the scoring with a magnificent cross from Samuel Gigot. In the process, Rasmus Nicolaisen scores a very nice own goal with a header. Upon returning from the locker room, Pigs Kolasinac performs a crazy action in the area with control in the run followed by a dribble of the sole and a little flat of the foot, that's three! Then, it's Dimitri Payet who will clean the skylight after a very nice sequence in the surface! After a penalty goal from Toulouse, OM resumed their march forward and it was Cengiz Under who scores on a penalty obtained by Bamba Dieng. Finally, Nuno Tavares will also score a magnificent goal with a chest check in the area followed by a half-volley missile under the bar of Maxime Dupé, who will also remember this evening for a long time…
OM's eleven against Toulouse
Lopez – Mbemba, Gigot (Bailly, 60th), Balerdi – Clauss, Rongier (Veretout, 77th), Gueye, Kolasinac (Tavares, 60th) – Under (Ben Seghir, 86th), Sanchez, Payet (Dieng, 77th)
Goals: Rongier (13th), Nicolaisen (csc, 41st), Kolasinac (52nd), Payet (62nd), Under (80th), Tavares (82nd) for OM; Van den Boomen (66th) for Toulouse
2021: With patience, OM finally dominates Montpellier
For this first match of the return phase, André Villas-Boas aligns a team composition with a surprise: the tenure of Nemanja Radonjic in place of Dimitri Payet. And it's the Serb who will open the score with a header just before half-time!
The return from the locker room is not good, and Florent Mollet punishes a Marseille rearguard that is a little too lax. Dimitri Payet is then launched, and it is he who will unlock everything with a little slalom in the MHSC defense and a perfect cross strike. OM continues to push, and it is Valère Germainwho has just come into play, who will cut off a cross from Saif-Eddine Khaoui. While the crisis broke out a few weeks later, OM thought they had reassured themselves against Montpellier…
OM's eleven against Montpellier
Mandanda – Sakai, Alvaro, Caleta-Car, Nagatomo (Khaoui, 79th) – Kamara, Gueye – Thauvin, Cuisance (Strootman, 65th), Radonjic (Payet, 73rd) – Benedetto (Germain, 79th)
Goals: Radonjic (41st), Payet (80th), Germain (84th) for OM; Mollet (52nd) for Montpellier
