Stunned by the 3-0 conceded at the Vélodrome a week ago against PSG in the league, and especially by the elimination on penalties on Wednesday against Annecy (Ligue 2) in the quarter-finals of a Coupe de France which seemed hold out their arms to him, Olympique de Marseille raised their heads on Sunday March 5, going to win on the lawn of Rennes to close the 26e Ligue 1 day.
The Marseillais took the opportunity to also carry out an excellent operation in the standings, thanks to the results of Monaco (held in check by Troyes 2-2) and Lens (hooked by Lille 1-1), which allowed them to consolidate their second place with four lengths in advance, while sending Rennes, a potential other candidate for the podium, back to his dear studies.
“No time to cry”, had warned the Marseille coach, Igor Tudor, after the double disappointment of the last few days. The message was heard by his players, who started very strong, with intense pressing. A strike from Jordan Veretout in the first minute, a missed strike from Cenginz Under, while the Rennes goalkeeper was beaten (9e), and an incursion by Jonathan Clauss, well repelled this time by Steve Mandanda (12e), set the tone.
But the intensity was on both sides, and the Rennais also quickly got chances, with a festival of Djed Spence on the right (10e) and, above all, a superb strike from Amine Gouiri pushed back by the crossbar (15e).
A matter of maturity
From then on, the match turned into a general approach, with a constant back and forth between the two surfaces, not without a certain haste on both sides. In this little game, the Rennais proved to be the most dangerous. But they quickly lost Jérémy Doku, hit a thigh and went out in the 25th.e minute, while Matteo Guendouzi, too nervous, was replaced at the break, when the score was 0-0.
After the former Marseille goalkeeper, Steve Mandanda, got busy by diving into the feet of Alexis Sanchez (51e), the Phocaeans finally found the fault with a little cunning: quickly playing a free kick while the opposing defense was still settling in, Jordan Veretout found Under, who crossed for Sead Kolasinac who appeared at the far post (0-1, 57e).
“A ridiculous thing”lambasted Rennes coach Bruno Genesio. “The match comes down to this: a very good team with maturity, against a very good team that lacks maturity”.
Very upset, the Rennais tried the same shot a dozen minutes later, but the Marseille defense was less naive… In the process, the Rennais Toko Ekambi (76e) then Arthur Théate (77e) failed to frame their header, and despite intense pressing in the last minutes, in front of a full and boiling stadium, nothing more happened.
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With this defeat, the Rennais remain fifth, and see their fight for European places become more complicated, with a very small lead over Lille (sixth). As for the Marseillais, who have a seventh straight away victory in the league and are reassured defensively, the rest promises to be within their reach, with the reception of Strasbourg and a trip to Reims, which nevertheless remains out of ten. -eight games without defeat in Ligue 1!