Jean-François Pérès with AFP // photo credit: Ibrahim Ezzat / ANADOLU AGENCY / Anadolu Agency via AFP
Assured of the podium since the Monegasque defeat in Lyon on Friday, Marseille may have said goodbye to second place by losing to Lille (2-1) on Saturday during the 36th day of Ligue 1. With 73 points, OM remain two lengths from Lens, which moves to Lorient on Sunday, a club which has nothing left to play for at the end of the season. Ironically, Lille’s success therefore does the business of the great Lensois rival, closer than ever to second place directly qualifying for the Champions League. If OM wince, it is on the other hand an excellent result for Lille (5th), which is two points behind Monaco (4th) and regains a four-point lead over Rennes (6th) and Lyon (7th), the two clubs that can still deprive the Mastiffs of European qualification.
The two coaches had decided to hit hard for this match: Igor Tudor, by not retaining Dimitri Payet or Nuno Tavares in his group; Paulo Fonseca, aligning entry Carlos Baleba and Jonas Martin. The first had not been at such a party since February 1, while the second only accumulated a big half-hour of playing time in L1 since the World Cup. After a start marked by injuries, that of Gigot on the Phocaean side and Ismaily on the Northern side, Marseille opened hostilities through Jonathan Clauss. Launched on the left of the surface, the French international saw his strike hit by Lucas Chevalier then by Bafodé Diakité, but neither of them managed to prevent the ball from ending up in the back of the net (29th).
The former Lensois did not go far from the double when, served by Alexis Sanchez just before the break, he made a lucky little bridge on Bafodé Diakité then saw his shot fly above the cages of Chevalier (45th ). Faced with the Marseillais who were able to hit the bull’s eye on one of their rare occasions, the Mastiffs remained short of a solution for a long time, and joined the locker room without having framed a single shot.
Reverse deal
The situation was reversed as soon as the locker room returned, on a twist of fate. On a back pass to Pau Lopez, Carlos Baleba ran with all his might towards the ball and managed to deflect it at the last moment, just before being hooked by the Marseille goalkeeper who, launched, could not do anything to avoid it. Specialist of the exercise, Jonathan David transformed the penalty with a strike on the right of the Marseille goal (50th). The Canadian has scored eight penalties in the league this season, more than any other player in Ligue 1. Lille then knew how to be sharper, and multiplied the attacks launched, but each time lacked precision in the last pass or the last dribble.
Marseille were also more enterprising than in the first half, but Alexis Sanchez was ruled offside by a hair’s breadth after scoring what he thought was the 2-1 goal, with a fine strike from the surface entrance (60th). The Chilean took his head in his hands a few minutes later when, well served at the entrance to the surface, he missed his control (69th). While the knockout seemed close on both sides, it was the Lille who administered it to the Marseillais. Coming into play a few minutes earlier, Rémy Cabella sent a millimeter cross to Jonathan Bamba who, from 5.50 meters, only had to send the ball into the back of the net to give Lille the advantage (72nd ).
In a tense end to the match, the Marseillais tried to come back to the score, but came up against the Lille defense and inaccuracies which cost them dearly.