Marseille (AFP)

Olympique de Marseille and Rennes were unbeaten (1-1) after dominating a half-time each Sunday for the 8th day of Ligue 1, and continue to advance with the handbrake.

Glass half empty or half full for OM? André Villas-Boas's team no longer wins but has not lost since the first day and remains the only L1 with only one defeat on the clock.

His current series of three draws made him down to 5th place, but the many absences, Alvaro and Florian Thauvin injured, Dimitri Payet and Boubacar Kamara suspended tempered the judgment.

The Stade Rennais (8th) remains him on six games without a win, including the Europa League, before going to Lazio Rome on Thursday.

But the draw is just between two teams who have each won a half-time, the Bretons thanks to Mbaye Niang (19), the Provençals with the first goal of Duje Caleta-Car for OM (52).

Side game, the first half of the OM is a bit disturbing, and the first tenure of Valentin Rongier, instead of Maxime Lopez, was not very bleeding. But the former Nantais has recovered well, as his team, after the break.

More enterprising, Rennes has logically opened the score thanks to an overflow of his captain, Damien Da Silva, whose center was withdrawn by Mbaye Niang. The Senegalese international beat Hiroki Sakai, who deflected the ball.

The Marseillais, preceded on many balloons, suffered in the first period. The Rennes have for example been amused by the young Lucas Perrin, tenured for the second time: small bridge of Niang (30), big bridge of Hamari Traoré (40) and buffered several times ...

- Double rescue of Mandanda -

Jordan Amavi, caught by the Vélodrome for a while already, has missed many gestures, triggering each time whistles.

The stadium shouted with joy when André Villas-Boas took it out at the break for Nemanja Radonjic, Hiroki Sakai taking his left-back position and Bouna Sarr coming down the right lane.

This change probably does not explain everything, but OM came back much more aggressive cloakroom, like the rage of Duje Caleta-Car to finally score his first goal Olympian, a head uncrossed on a corner from Bouna Sarr.

And the corner was won by incoming Radonjic.

Marseille tried to take advantage of the momentum, but Dario Benedetto preferred to strike from a distance while he could have served Sarr, thrown (62).

Frustrated with good balls, the Argentinian was a bit short on a center of Sarr (70), but OM was finally back in the game. The proof, Perrin won the authority a beautiful duel against Raphinha (64).

Then the debates were rebalanced. Flavien Tait, on a counter, could have punished the decline of regime without a return of the indefatigable Valere Germain (78).

At the end of the match, each team had a double match, OM by Sarr, countered by Édouard Mendy, before the second balloon Benedetto hit above (87).

Rennes also could have won two minutes earlier without a magnificent double rescue of Steve Mandanda in front of Adrien Hunou (85).

On this feat, the song of the Marseille captain sounded, for the first time since a long time: "Il Fenomeno Mandanda!"

The public obviously preferred to judge the glass half full, but it would be necessary for OM to learn how to win to resume its march to the podium.

© 2019 AFP