The wall of the Atlantic, and of the Loire, held for a long time. But, faced with the surge of Marseille waves, FC Nantes ended up breaking (2-1), during this match of the third day of Ligue 1, Saturday August 20. OM however went through all the emotions, opening the scoring before being caught and being reduced to ten. But a helping hand from fate, a big mistake from Nicolas Pallois, allowed the Phocaeans to sign a second success in three games.
Igor Tudor had, once again, made strong choices to start the match, leaving Payet and Milik on the bench, and launching Alexis Sanchez into the hot tub at the Vélodrome stadium. Accustomed to fiery atmospheres, especially with his national team, the Chilean did not seem petrified by the event, far from it. But, despite all his goodwill and experience, the ex-Arsenal player failed to liberate his new people. The public, precisely, has long been frustrated by the result, as OM dominated without materializing.
2 – Marseille have won each of their first 2 home matches of a Ligue 1 season (4-1 v Reims and 2-1 v Nantes) for the 1st time since 2012/13 under Elie Baup (2nd at the end) . Basics. #OMFCNA pic.twitter.com/jamVaornRK
— OptaJean (@OptaJean) August 20, 2022
As a harbinger, the whistles that accompanied Tudor’s name when the compositions were announced quickly gave way to encouragement and cries of admiration after the Marseille start. But these did not reach their climax and invariably ended with a hint of disappointment at the lack of realism of the Phocaeans. In their defense, Clauss (5th) and Veretout (6th) had the bad luck to face a goalkeeper touched by grace at the start of the season: Alban Lafont.
A few moments later, Alexis Sanchez, taken over by Girotto, missed the opportunity to seal his union with the Marseille people by lacking liveliness in his duel against the Nantes goalkeeper. But the Chilean was not moved more than measure and continued his tireless activity, multiplying on the sides. If there was any doubt about his motivation, it was quickly dispelled.
The precision of the Olympians dissipated just as much. Always as physically present against Nantes who struggled to line up three passes in a row, the locals invariably sinned in the last gesture, like this strike from Guendouzi into the small net of Lafont just before the break (42nd). The question of why OM only played with one real striker had to insinuate itself into the bays of the Vélodrome…
The Croatian coach, however, did not deviate one iota on the restart and brought in the same eleven players. But it was his first replacement, Luis Suarez, who got the first chance, colliding, like his teammates before him, with the sprawling Lafont who came to block the angle (56th). Not wanting to let the Canaries goalkeeper fly alone in the cage, his Marseille counterpart, Pau Lopez, also split with a decisive parade at the feet of Moses Simon (61st).
In the process, Tudor released a deserving Alexis Sanchez and shot down his joker Dimitri Payet, greeted by a thunderous ovation. Voluntary, the ex-Nantais tried to move the lines but it was Chancel Mbemba who put on the unexpected costume of the savior by diverting a strike from Jonathan Clauss (1-0, 70th). The outburst of joy was short-lived, however. Like a frozen shower, the fault of Samuel Gigot, who surrounded Mostafa Mohamed, came to break the atmosphere: red card for the defender and penalty converted by Ludovic Blas (1-1, 78th).
The Olympians were not gambling. Like a Luis Suarez as combative as his famous Uruguayan namesake, they went on the attack again and, after a header from the Colombian, it was the unfortunate Nicolas Pallois who deceived his own goalkeeper (2-1, 82nd) .
This time Kombouaré’s men could no longer come back. Hard blow for the FCNA, still looking for a first success at the start of the season, but, in view of the meeting, the victory of OM, which joins RC Lens at the top of the provisional classification, does not suffer from no dispute.