Olympique de Marseille returned to 6 points from second place in Ligue 1, after a somewhat sluggish success at home against Clermont (2-1).
If matches lasted 45 minutes in Ligue 1, Gennaro Gattuso and the Marseille supporters would not end the matches so stressed and exhausted. Olympique de Marseille returned to 6 points from second place and three points from the podium on Sunday, by signing a fourth consecutive success in Ligue 1. It was Clermont, the red lantern, which folded this time (2- 1) on the lawn of the Orange Vélodrome, not without giving the Phocaeans a few cold sweats.
OM offered a first period of great quality before, once again, failing physically and technically. The Auvergnats did not take advantage of it and did not really create any clear chances after Jim Allevinah, 1.72m, reduced the gap with a header from a corner (2-1, 58th). Pau Lopez had not conceded a goal at home since that of Junya Ito in August with Reims, which still shows what the Italian coach has brought in terms of defensive solidity since his arrival.
Fortunately for Gattuso and his family, the hardest part had almost been done before the break. Under the eyes ofThe Commander, invited to kick off, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang delivered an uncontrolled pass to Lucho Gonzalez behind the defense to allow Amir Murillo to open the scoring with a cross strike (1-0, 26th ). This caviar turned out to be the Gabonese’s most relevant action in this game. Indeed, the top Olympian scorer this season missed two clear opportunities to definitely widen the gap before the break, far from his diabolical efficiency of recent weeks.
Amine Harit, well placed to receive a rejected strike from Illiman Ndiaye, whose suspension had just been overturned by the CNOSF, still doubled the lead for his first goal in Ligue 1 since 2022 (2-0, 42nd). Ndiaye, restless and often well placed, was again unsuccessful with a post on a diving header, before being replaced just after the Clermont goal.
“There was a bit of fatigue and we played against a team that was responsive. You have to show humility. We had moves to play, we didn’t exploit them. In the second half, it was more difficult, but the essentials were assured. I try to bring what I know how to do, with my experience. We have talent in the squad, we have to be consistent as we have been lately,” indicated Geoffrey Kondogbia, very valuable in the midfield, at the microphone of Prime Video.
There is one match left at OM in 2023 to confirm this good dynamic. It will be next Wednesday, in Montpellier. For Clermont, this is a fifth game in a row without a victory. Pascal Gastien’s players will also try to finish the year properly at home against Rennes, another team in crisis.
