Ligue 1: OM and its recruits to party against ASSE – L’Équipe.fr

The match: 3-1

A week after refusing to return to the lawn in Nice, OM found the Orange-Vélodrome on Saturday night against ASSE. Pushed by a boiling public and carried by very inspired recruits, the Marseillais regained the victory at the end of a pleasant match from start to finish (3-1).

Saint-Étienne held on but was never able to keep pace. With more precision from Marseille forwards, the mark could even have been heavier.

Galvanized by the atmosphere, the two formations did not respect an observation round. Steve Mandanda then Étienne Green were immediately called upon by Denis Bouanga and Valentin Rongier. After these first exchanges of blows, OM took the measure of the Greens and once again showed all their offensive potential. With a Dimitri Payet available between the lines and delicious for distribution.

Especially on this sublime pass for Cengiz Ünder before Konrad de la Fuente offered the opener to Mattéo Guendouzi (23rd). Galvanized by this first goal in his new colors, the midfielder found Green’s post before the break (39th). Technically superior and pushed by their public, OM offered themselves two other goals after returning from the locker room. Served by Rongier, Gerson was not missing in the middle (51st). The final break came from a curled shot from Ünder on the right side (68th).

Manhandled but never irrelevant, Saint-Étienne was happy to equalize in the first period on a corner victoriously taken over by Timothée Kolodziejczak (32nd). But this flash will only remain an anecdote. Partly because of a Mandanda still impeccable in front of Bouanga (67th and 68th), while the Stéphanois pushed to return to 2-2. Visibly exhausted by the imposed intensity, Claude Puel’s players ran out of fuel to be able to punish the still very visible defensive largesse of the Marseillais.

Untenable at the start of the season, Dimitri Payet again confirmed his return to his best level on Saturday night. While awaiting the return of Arkadiusz Milik, he was again aligned at the forefront of the Marseille attack in a role of false number 9. Neither scorer nor decisive passer, he nevertheless shone in the collective of OM.

He never ceased to make himself available between the lines and then cut out the Stéphane defense with well-felt passes. The one for Ünder on the opening goal is a marvel. In great physical shape, he was dangerous until the last moments and could even have scored on this shot at the near post taken out by Green (83rd).

The fact: still decisive recruits

Match after match, the excellent Marseille transfer window is confirmed on the ground. Sometimes behind their partners since the start of the season, Guendouzi and Gerson stood out with their first goals.

Already a scorer this season, Ünder has also found the net to make the final break. After the De La Fuente show on the first days and while awaiting the integration of Pol Lirola who had just arrived, OM is proving that its recruits are already there and are gaining momentum.