Marseille keep Champions League hopes afloat with 3-1 win over Angers

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
More
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Marseille keep Champions League hopes afloat with 3-1 win over Angers
Dimitri Payet scored Marseille's second goal
Dimitri Payet scored Marseille's second goal
AFP
Igor Tudor’s Olympique de Marseille cut the gap to second-placed Lens with a gutsy - but less-than-eye-catching - victory at home to Angers, making it three consecutive wins at the Stade Velodrome.

Possessing a wretched record of one point from their previous 12 away matches, it was somewhat of a surprise to see Angers take the lead midway through the first half.

Breaking in behind the Marseille backline, Abdallah Sima finished off an emphatic counter-attacking move for the visitors, netting high into the goal, much to the disbelief of a silenced Stade Velodrome.

Abdallah Sima opened the scoring for Angers
AFP

 However, with relegation to the second tier already confirmed, a struggling Angers side failed to see the half out with their advantage intact.

Flicking home with a delicate finish, Alexis Sanchez continued his impressive season for Marseille by netting the equaliser, while simultaneously calming the growing worries of the home crowd.

This was a sucker blow for Alexandre Dujeux’s side, who had been on the brink of a much-needed morale-boosting half-time scoreline.

Having dragged themselves back into the match just before the break, despite having been below par throughout the first period, there was a sense of inevitability around Marseille taking the lead.

Talisman Dimitri Payet netted the home side’s second of the evening, with the ex-West Ham United man latching on to a bouncing ball inside the penalty area to sweep home a tidy right-footed finish inside the penalty area.

Now in control, Marseille were handed the chance - quite literally - to put the game to bed with a penalty 15 minutes from time.

Goalscorer Sima was adjudged to be the guilty party, with a stray arm blocking Leonardo Balerdi’s goal-bound shot, leaving referee Benoit Millot little choice but to point to the spot.

Strolling up to the 12-yard mark with confidence, Jordan Veretout converted with ease to wrap up the three points for the Champions League-chasing outfit.

Ligue 1 standings after the match
Flashscore

That’s now one win from their last 27 games for Angers, whose campaign continues to finish with a whimper.

Flashscore Man of the Match: Jordan Veretout (Marseille)

See all the match stats here.

Player ratings
Flashscore

21+ | COMPETENT REGULATOR EEEP | RISK OF ADDICTION & LOSS OF PROPERTY | KETHEA HELPLINE: 210 9237777 | PLAY RESPONSIBLY & SAFELY |

France gouvernement

Les jeux d’argent et de hasard peuvent être dangereux : pertes d’argent, conflits familiaux, addiction…

Retrouvez nos conseils sur joueurs-info-service.fr (09-74-75-13-13, appel non surtaxé)

Do you want to withdraw your consent to display betting ads?
Yes, change settings