Beleaguered Olympique de Marseille relaunched their title bid with a comprehensive 2-0 away win at Stade Rennais on Friday, a win that lifted the reigning champions up to third in Ligue 1 ahead of the weekend’s remaining fixtures.
Marseille’s battle for glory on three fronts this season — in the league, league cup and the Champions League — was overshadowed earlier this week with unwelcome off-field news.
Brazilian Brandao was taken off the team sheet after he was accused of rape. Coupled with reports that coach Didier Deschamps could quit Marseille and return to former club Juventus, their need for a win arguably went beyond a simple three points, while on the pitch they had lost to league leaders Lille last weekend.
Photo: AFP
“A major team performance. It wasn’t easy coming after Lille and one shouldn’t dismiss either [the effect] of the off-field problem the club has relating to the Brandao affair,” Deschamps said.
Despite missing Brandao, Marseille emerged from a lively first half 1-0 to the good after a well-taken goal by summer signing Loic Remy in the 24th minute.
Only two minutes earlier, Ghanaian Andre Ayew had missed a great chance for the opener when he ran on to Argentine playmaker Lucho Gonzalez’s pass and flashed an angled left-footed drive wide of Nicolas Douchez’s upright.
After another defense-splitting move by Lucho, Ayew’s weighted cross into the area was met by the diving Remy, who gave Douchez no chance with a bullet header from the edge of the penalty area.
Rennes came close to leveling moments after the restart when midfielder Jerome Leroy delivered a long free-kick to the back post and Yann M’Vila unleashed a shot that forced a smart diving save from Steve Mandanda, but Marseille’s pressing was finally rewarded when Jordan Ayew, the brother of Andre, pounced on a defensive error.
Jordan Ayew then held up the ball superbly on the left, before offloading to Lucho, who beat Douchez with a low drive.
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