Olympique de Marseille beats Auxerre and returns to five points behind PSG

Olympique de Marseille (OM) won 2-1 against Auxerre (14ᵉ) at the Stade-Vélodrome, in Marseille, on Sunday April 30, during the 33^e day of Ligue 1. A victory which allows him to return to five points behind the leader, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), who lost to Lorient (1-3), and to consolidate his second place at a week of shock in Lens – third.

The Coupe de France final has turned the schedule upside down slightly, and we will have to wait until Tuesday evening, and the Toulouse-Lens match, to find out exactly how much lead OM can count on before going to challenge the Sang et Or at Bollaert. The gap with the northern club will be at best four points, at worst only one, but OM will go to the North as runners-up to PSG.

Clumsy and a little unlucky, OM were led for a long time on Saturday by Auxerre, who opened the scoring through Birama Touré (33ᵉ). But the team of Igor Tudor did not give up, while the balls did not want to cross the line of Ionut Radu, the Auxerre goalkeeper, systematically slowed down, countered or blocked by a foot, a header or an opposing post.

Already at the break, the statistics were quite telling: 75% possession for OM, 13 shots with three, 26 crosses with three and ten corners with zero. And yet, without even having put more than one foot in the Marseille area, it was Auxerre who was in front. Because on the second half of a free kick moderately cleared by Pau Lopez, Birama Touré had placed the ball in the skylight with an exceptional volley from the right of more than 20 meters (1-0, 33ᵉ).

vitinha maladroit

At this moment, Marseille had only let his opponent breathe for a few minutes, after an asphyxiating half-hour. Carried by the superb atmosphere of the Vélodrome, OM left Auxerre short of breath, but without managing to score. All of Tudor’s attacking players tried their luck, but it was Vitinha who had the best chances and was the most clumsy, with three excellent situations between the 15th and 20th minute.

But after the break, Auxerre suffered a siege and logically ended up laying down their arms. In the 75ᵉ minute, it was first Cengiz Under, who, with a nice cross shot, opened the breach (1-1). And two minutes later, Alexis Sanchez, served on the edge of offside by Matteo Guendouzi, brought down the last Burgundian defenses.

With this third success in a row, OM are continuing on their pace and confirming that they have regained their legs and bite before facing Lens.