Olympique de Marseille became the first team to retain the French League Cup when a late Taye Taiwo goal gave them a 1-0 win over Montpellier in a scrappy final at the Stade de France on Saturday.
Nigeria defender Taiwo struck the winner with a low shot from just inside the area following a poor clearance by the Montpellier defense after a free-kick 10 minutes from time.
Last season, Marseille went on to win the Ligue 1 title after their League Cup triumph and they will be hoping their latest success spurs them on to another championship.
Photo: Reuters
They are just a point behind leaders Lille with seven games left.
“It was complicated, but we expected a tough challenge,” l’OM manager Didier Deschamps told a press conference. “Everything is fine. We will enjoy it tonight and tomorrow, and then we will focus on the league because we have a game on Wednesday [against Nice].”
Marseille had the best chances, but they were made to wait for their breakthrough by stubborn opponents.
The result means Montpellier have still not won a trophy since they lifted the French Cup back in 1990 when Eric Cantona and Laurent Blanc were wearing the blue and orange shirt.
The only worry for Marseille was an injury to their Cameroon midfielder Stephane Mbia, who had to be replaced in the seventh minute, and they will wait anxiously for his scan results.
Marseille had the first clear chance in the 20th minute when a powerful 20m Lucho Gonzalez free-kick was parried by Laurent Pionnier as the holders got a grip on an ill-tempered game.
Montpellier hit back two minutes later when Jamel Saihi’s attempt was saved by Steve Mandanda.
Marseille stepped up the pressure and were unlucky not to score when Mathieu Valbuena’s volley hit the post in the 32nd minute.
They came close again just after the break when Andre-Pierre Gignac floated over a perfect cross for Andre Ayew, whose header was tipped away by Pionnier.
In the 58th minute, the Ghana striker had another chance, but this time his header shaved the post.
With 10 minutes left, Benoit Cheyrou unleashed a curling free-kick that the Montpellier defense failed to clear and Taiwo surged into the box to grab the winner and a deserved victory.
After the trophy presentation, Taiwo took a microphone and joined the Marseille fans in singing an anti-Paris Saint-Germain song, which includes an expletive, aimed at their archrivals.
Asked about the incident, Deschamps said: “I did not hear it. It will give you something to write about.”
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