how OM raised the bar to return to European places

Thirteenth in Ligue 1 at the start of November, Olympique de Marseille returned to the top 6 in the space of two weeks.

Gennaro Gattuso announced it: after the international break, we were going to see “a big OM”. If the Italian coach’s team has not yet regained its level of past seasons, the Olympian renaissance is well underway at the start of December. In Lorient, the Marseillais signed their third victory in a row in the league in the space of a week, the first away of the season. A positive series which brings the Marseille ship back into less troubled waters, since OM is back in the top 6.

This does not yet quite correspond to the ambitions of the club, which is aiming for the podium and qualification for the Champions League. But OM gives itself the right to dream about it again with this new positive momentum. “These victories give us a little breathing room, but we haven’t done anything yet. We have eaten our black bread and we must not forget that”, thus put Gennaro Gattuso into perspective after the success during the week against Lyon. Although he remains cautious, the Italian nevertheless seems to have finally found the formula.

Aubameyang fireworks

After having fumbled tactically since his arrival in September, the Marseille technician brought his latest discovery to Lorient: a 3-5-2 which allows him to combine Vitinha and Aubameyang at the forefront of the attack. And, as against OL, it worked and allowed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to shine in spaces while Vitinha occupied (and tired) the opposing central hinge. Scorer against Lyon, and author of a double this Sunday against Lorient, “Aubam” alone embodies this return to the forefront of OM.

Author of 7 goals and 3 assists in the last 4 matches, the former Barcelona player is finally like a fish in water in the Old Port, after a difficult start. His association with Vitinha sparks, although it is not necessarily expected to last. Because the current 3-5-2 is not the first choice of Gennaro Gattuso, forced to deal with absences. Still, this system suits this OM perfectly, whether it is the attacking duo, but also the trio Balerdi-Gigot-Mbemba behind, while giving freedom to the pistons Jonathan Clauss and Renan Lodi.

A defense found

“We must not believe that we have solved everything. We will see that when we have found continuity, in the services and the results”, calmed Gennaro Gattuso after the victory against Lyon. But after this new success against Lorient, the first away for OM since April (ten matches), a positive series is emerging for OM. In two weeks, the Olympians won three Ligue 1 matches (Rennes, Lyon, Lorient) and one Europa League match (Ajax Amsterdam), and moved up 7 places in the standings.

Better: OM have regained certainty, whether offensively with Aubameyang, but also defensively. With 0.75 goals conceded in these first 8 Ligue 1 matches, Gattuso’s OM have returned to the necessary defensive solidity, symbolized by 4 clean sheets in 7 matches, and the lowest total of shots on target conceded per match (tied with Nice). Not enough to make Gennaro Gattuso jump to the ceiling after the success against Lorient.

Concerned for several weeks by the physical form of his troops, and their tendency to sink in the second period, the 2006 world champion was not reassured on this point in Lorient. “What I told the players is that I’m not really happy. We have to improve a lot of aspects, we finished this match with ten men. At 3-0, a lot of things didn’t please me , it’s a question of mentality. We have to improve on that.”railed the Italian into the microphone of Prime Video.

Because if the Marseillais are on the mend, they are still convalescent. To definitively heal, they will have to negotiate the last two days of Ligue 1 of the year against Clermont on Sunday then against Montpellier. In the meantime, OM will play for first place in their group in the Europa League on Thursday, in Brighton. In the event of a flawless performance in these three matches, the Marseillais would have a warm Christmas, which was far from being won on Halloween.