OM avoids a final fiasco

Excluded from the race for the Champions League, OM brilliantly won against Stade Rennais (3-1) to snatch 5th place in Ligue 1, synonymous with the Europa League.

OM’s cataclysmic season, on the field, in the locker room and behind the scenes, ends on a good note. There was concern before the last Ligue 1 match and the reception of Stade Rennais, Habib Beye’s first club this season. The Rouge et Noir finished strong in the final sprint and still had ambitions of qualifying for the Champions League, but the Phocaeans won (3-1) to secure access to the Europa League.

In a Stade Vélodrome which showed its discontent with a few banners but without great vehemence, the Marseillais made the difference from the first moments. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg opened the scoring from the start, launched by Mason Greenwood (2nd), then Amine Gouiri doubled the lead by blocking a clearance from Brice Samba’s understudy, Mathys Silistrie (10th)!

LePaul finishes with 21 goals

The second half was more tense but Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang brought the score to 3-0 with a ball thrown into the open area (55th). The Rennais, who did not have a bad match in the game, deserved to shake the opposing nets and, after falling on Geronimo Rulli, the Bretons saved the honor with a header from Esteban Lepaul (84th). The top scorer in Ligue 1 finished with 21 goals.

Stade Rennais gives up its 5th place to OM and fails in 6th position, which is for the moment qualitative for the Conference League (and the competition play-offs more precisely). Franck Haise’s team will be directly qualified for the Europa League if RC Lens wins the Coupe de France final against OGC Nice next Friday.