Beaten by Nîmes last weekend for Roberto De Zerbi’s debut, OM made up for it this Wednesday during their second friendly outing. The Phocéens beat Toulon by a resounding 3-0 score. Several interesting lessons can be learned from this match.
Greenwood’s Beginnings
Just a few days after signing for the club, Mason Greenwood was able to take part in his first match with Marseille. Aligned in a 4-2-3-1 formation, the English winger only played one half, like most players. A half during which he only distinguished himself with an unsuccessful shot (20e). He was replaced at half-time by Abdallah (20).e).
An unwanted person puts on a show
Among the players who stood out during this game, there is notably a player that the management is doing everything to exfiltrate. This is the Moroccan Azzedine Ounahi. While he is in conflict with Mehdi Benatia, the Moroccan international did the work on the field. He showed himself to be very advantageous and could even have scored a goal, with two clear chances to his credit (13e and 24e). Will this be enough to change management’s mind about him? It’s not at all certain.
The surprise Abdallah
Among the players who showed their best during this game there is a certain K. Abdallah. It is not Kassim, the former player of the club, but Keyliane. He is a kid of only 18 years old. He already has one match in the French elite, honored last year. Launched at half-time for De Zerbi, he did more than live up to expectations. He made the net tremble twice. The first time, it was refused by the referee because of offside. And the second time was the right one. With a view to a place in the professional squad next season, the young Abdallah scores very valuable points.
A solid defense
While it had been surprised twice during the match against the Crocodiles, the OM rearguard held firm this time. Even if this observation should be put into perspective, given the nature of the opposition and the stakes of the match, it is still positive. The back four, composed of Merlin, Brassier, Balerdi and Meité, also stayed on the field for more than an hour. The coach certainly made sure that his men created benchmarks and automatisms for the future.
The Zerbi paw is noticeable
In this match, we saw OM evolve with a lot of ambition in the game. In any case, much more than against Nimes. The team constantly tried to recover the ball quickly and to do so, they set about imposing high pressure on the opponent. We can detect the De Zerbi style, known for its intensity. This paid off, with this large success. In addition to Abdallah, Kondogbia and Harit (on penalty) also found the back of the opposing net.
