Marseille (AFP)

Thanks to a magnificent new goal from Dimitri Payet, Olympique de Marseille struggled to beat Toulouse (1-0) and consolidated its place as a runner-up in Ligue 1 on Saturday for the 24th day.

At aperitif time, Payet served a "peanut" in the Toulouse skylight (51), to finally release an OM who was skating against the bottom of the ranking.

The Reunionese had already unblocked the situation in Saint-Etienne (2-0), Wednesday, this time at the very start of the match, a striking jewel without angle.

It took this delight of his N. 10 to get OM out of the trap of TéFéCé, which had surprised its host by starting strong, but returned to Haute-Garonne with a thirteenth defeat in 14 games (plus a 0-0 draw at Amiens ...).

The OM series is virtuous. This tenth goal, all competitions, of Payet, allows him to line up a 16th game without defeat, including the Coupe de France.

The men of André Villas-Boas come closer every day to their dream of the Champions League. They are nine steps ahead of Lille (4th) and Rennes (3rd), which receives Brest (20:00) in a Breton derby.

They also well prepared their quarter-final of the Coupe de France with the Lyonnais rival, Wednesday, for their other objective of the season.

- Toulouse attacked -

OM's sports affairs are going well, but this narrow success against the worst L1 team should not hide some recurring weaknesses: fatigue, lack of offensive ideas, it being understood that "Payet-dependence" is not not a weakness, as Villas-Boas said.

Fortunately for them, the success seems to accompany the Marseillais, who could have conceded a goal after 20 seconds, on a raid by a former member of the house, Aaron Leya-Iseka. But Michy Batshuayi's little brother only straightened the ball on the post after dribbling Steve Mandanda (1).

Because surprised, the TéFéCé even dominated the start of the match, surprising the Marseillais who expected to face a wall.

The Olympian goalkeeper dived again in front of Quentin Boisgard (6), then got scared, believing that he conceded a goal from Jean-Victor Makengo (28), but the ball came out shortly before.

Then OM regained control, but had to turn like an besieger to find flaws in Denis Zanko's 4-1-4-1.

But nothing passed, neither the permutations from right to left between Dimitri Payet and Nemanja Radonjic, nor the calls of Maxime Lopez or Morgan Sanson.

OM did not hit the goal until the last minute of the first period, by Radonjic, but too tenderly (45 + 1).

- Mandanda still decisive -

And so, as often this season, Dimitri Payet pulled OM out of this quagmire with a sharp long-range strike beyond the reach of Baptiste Reynet.

The goalkeeper had replaced from the 35th minute Lovre Kalinic, the Croatian, visibly affected in the quadriceps.

Toulouse never gave up and tried to save a point. Fatigue still weighed on the Marseille side, in this intense period of matches every three days, where the strength of the workforce is felt.

Valère Germain took over from Dario Benedetto (Achilles tendon) but was not found much. AVB also rested the much sought after Valentin Rongier, replaced by Maxime Lopez, and his players had to work to defend their meager advantage until the end.

Fortunately, the defense still stands perfectly, with zero goals conceded in Ligue 1 in 2020.

Payet missed the double on a counter (85), shaving the post, but nobody in the Vélodrome, who ovationated, did not want him.

At the other end of the field, Mandanda has, as almost in every match, paid his tribute by leaving a brilliant stop on a strike from Leya-Iseka (81).

Payet, Mandanda, "with these two at this level", said Villas-Boas, OM can continue to believe in it.

© 2020 AFP