Marseille (AFP)

Three victories of rank, 4 goals already for Dario Benedetto: Olympique de Marseille is all fire before the 6th day of L1, but André Villas-Boas and Montpellier, his opponent Saturday, are in charge of circumscribing the beginning of fire.

"No fire!" All Marseillais repeat since the spectacular success in Monaco (4-3), their Portuguese coach in mind. The polyglot quickly learned this local word.

"It's still too early, warns Villas-Boas, everything can happen, we have not played anything yet."

"I'm going to be a bit of a devil's advocate," said goalkeeper Steve Mandanda, "after the first two days everyone was burying us, everyone was killing us ... Today we're fine, but we do not have to Ignite and keep your head on your shoulders.

We have to "keep working, because the season will be long and difficult, all our victories are complicated," the captain warns.

Needless to mention podium, the ultimate goal. "We are all like that," said "AVB," bringing his hands closer together, "very tight, you lose a match and go back to 8th or 10th place, the ranking is too unpredictable".

So "no great joy, it tempers, only confidence to arrive at this match with the right state of mind".

- Fire retardant -

For if it is not necessary to ignite, the OM still won in his series (2-1 in Nice and 1-0 against Saint-Etienne before Monaco) the precious confidence, which missed him so much the season passed.

After the victory to Louis II, "we thought that maybe last year we would have lost that one 5-4," says Morgan Sanson, "we were all like dogs behind the ball, we wanted to win and we are went for it, soldered, it's a difference with last season, "where doubts made the team thwart.

The OM does not ignite, therefore, but is at least a little fireproof. "We live this important moment of trust, enjoy Villas-Boas, we can not lose our attention and our determination, I think they are there, but Montpellier is a big test".

The Portuguese expects "a very difficult match, I hope he will not put a stop to our progress".

Montpellier is an "extraordinary" team, he insists, an adjective he uses a lot, "a well-established team, well built, it's difficult to put goals."

"For several seasons, it's the same collective, the same organization that can make us + shit +," said in a burst of laughter Morgan Sanson, formed there.

To bend the defense to three built by Michel Der Zakarian, "the organization may not be enough, and the state of mind either, warns AVB.We need both, luck too, to win the duels, one against one, to shoot ... "

- "It's going fast in both directions" -

The success of "Pipa" Benedetto is another sign of good health, physical and mental, but here again the coach does not want to get excited: register 15 goals this season - not 30 as suggested by journalists - it would already be Well, says the coach.

And if it needed a bit of motivation and more, OM can take advantage of "clashes between teams that have the same objectives as us," notes Villas-Boas.

"I hope we will take the three points and gain a little distance" with the competitors at the podium, taking advantage of Rennes-Lille and Lyon-Paris SG, Sunday.

But just a little distance, no breakaway after just six days.

"I said after Monaco that we should not ignite, engages Sanson, we have enough experience here to know that it's going fast in both directions."

At Louis II, "we all calmed ourselves, we immediately put our finger on Montpellier, an even bigger match than Monaco," says the midfielder, author in the Principality of his best early season match.

Even the new Alvaro Gonzalez is in tune. "We must continue to win, starting with the next match at the Vélodrome to confirm that of Monaco", concludes the Spanish defender. But no fire, understood?

© 2019 AFP