Marseilles (AFP)

Cutesy and uninspired, Olympique de Marseille saved a point against Lille (1-1), but still missed a home match on Sunday for the 4th day of Ligue 1.

The excellent timing of Valère Germain allowed him to take a header from Morgan Sanson's corner to equalize (85), but OM is doing well, four days after losing at the Vélodrome against Saint-Étienne (2- 0).

Lille logically led from the start of the second period thanks to a goal from Luis Araujo (47).

And without the parades of Steve Mandanda, Germain, entered in place of a transparent Florian Thauvin (71), would not have had an equalizer but to save honor.

"Il Fenomeno" was brilliant to go slam a strike from Araujo under the bar (62) or on a close-range header from Benjamin André (75).

The little Brazilian also hit the crossbar (66).

Extinguished, harmless, not sharp in defense, the Marseillais offered a worrying level of play and worried Mike Maignan only on a shot from Valentin Rongier on the post (70), before Germain's goal.

Dario Benedetto did no good, and Dimitri Payet and Thauvin were not having a good night on the wings.

On the contrary, Christophe Galtier's Mastiffs have regained all their bite: a pressing of starved to death and supersonic attacks.

- Two points in four matches at the Vélodrome -

The Northerners are 5th with 8 points, behind their cousins ​​Lensois (9 points), good profitability with one goal per game since the start of the season.

But that suck can leave them with a bitter taste.

They did not take their revenge after two 2-1 defeats last season, where each time they had yet shaken OM, like Sunday.

For Marseille, doubt sets in.

After the failure against Saint-Étienne (2-0), home matches remain the big black spot for André Villas-Boas.

The gains of the great victory at Paris SG have already been largely wasted ...

Straddling last season, OM took only two points at the Vélodrome in four matches.

The recordings of supporters' songs, which Provence called "the moo box", broadcast by the sound system did nothing.

The system rang oddly, out of time, with a sound "To arms!"

in a hollow moment of the match (26).

On the color side, the inscription "Here is Marseille, Baby", in the Ganay stand, which had not brought luck against the Greens, has been replaced by a more sober "Olympique de" above Marseille, and a orange star below.

- Mandanda again -

After two away victories from the start, OM remain stuck in 8th place.

Does the scent of success at the Parc des Princes still intoxicate him?

The Marseille first half was still very dull, as against the Greens.

And the Mastiffs did not do much better.

The first half hour passed without anything other than the centers of Hiroki Sakai countered in corners, Marseille side, and on the other the many offside (4) of Burak Yilmaz, who saw his goal invalidated for this reason (3).

At least the Turk touched a lot of balls, the Mastiffs had a harder time touching his attacking partner, Jonathan David.

The Canadian, who has not yet scored since he arrived in L1, badly negotiated a Marseille gift, a counter-attack offered by a Thauvin-Sakai misunderstanding (40).

The danger was even stronger for OM on a big strike from Mehmet Celik, boxed by Steve Mandanda (43), already the biggest opportunity.

Marseille ended up being punished upon returning from the locker room, Araujo, launched by Jonathan Bamba, played with Yuto Nagatomo to beat Mandanda, who did not even move (47).

The Japanese was still too tight, after six months without playing, for the first of an L1 club with two Japanese full-backs (Hiroki Sakai on the right).

Marseille have another chance to improve their home stats against Metz on Saturday.

But it will take a little more energy and football.

© 2020 AFP