Sluggish, the Marseillais conceded a very logical draw in the final moments of their opposition to Strasbourg this Friday evening (1-1). The CAN parenthesis is off to a bad start…
Decimated by the African Cup of Nations and flanked by a bench without depth, OM was content with a sad draw against Strasbourg this Friday at the Vélodrome stadium, as a curtain-raiser to the 18e day of Ligue 1 – the first of the return phase of the championship. Five days after their short success over Thionville (N2) in the Coupe de France (0-1), Gennaro Gattuso’s men were unable to maintain this same minimalist margin.
However, it was with a bang that the Phocaeans attacked their duel of the day, finding the fault at the start of the match on a ball from Veretout cleverly extended into the area by Vitinha, for Gigot’s victorious header from close range (1- 0, 3e). An almost unique brilliance in this meeting for the Olympians who rather suffered the impact and enthusiasm of their Alsatian counterparts.
A meritorious equalization
Barely inspired on the offensive, the Racing players have long sinned through clumsiness in their opportunities in the opposing camp, frustrated from one end to the other of the game like this free kick from Bakwa sent over the bar crossbar of the cage defended by Lopez (85e). Like last season, however, the Strasbourg residents dampened the enthusiasm of the Vélodrome by finding the fault in the last moments of the match, through the young Sebas, who thus opened his account in L1 (1-1, 90e+1). A first for a hard-won point which allows the RCSA to consolidate its ninth position in the ranking. OM, for their part, is just ahead of Lille, provisionally, on goal difference. By remaining five lengths from the targeted podium.
