Marseilles (AFP)

Plunged for weeks into a long and dark tunnel of defeats and various annoyances, Marseille finally regained victory on Wednesday by beating Nice 3-2 on Wednesday in a late match of the 11th day of Ligue 1.

While we were playing the Champions League side by side, this competition too big for them which cost them a lot of energy and illusions this season, the Marseillais therefore had to tackle a new late match, these jokers who have long made them believe that the podium was playable.

It is no longer, but Wednesday's victory allows OM to return to 6th place, one point away from Rennes, against whom they will play their last game late on March 10.

Everything was not perfect in the game of OM, who were very afraid of the Nice equalizer at the end of the match, but the last little happiness dated from January 6, with a 3-1 success against Montpellier, so the Provençaux will be satisfied with it.

Because since this victory against the Héraultais, a lot has happened, but almost nothing good has come out of these six weeks.

Sports crisis, governance crisis, open crisis between supporters and management, OM this winter sailed from storm to storm, taking only three poor points in seven matches.

- Bleeding Payet -

So in this extremely heavy context, why not a little lightness?

It was Nasser Larguet's bet with the surprise triple tenure of Khaoui, young Dieng, scorer at Auxerre, and very young Luis Henrique, with real value still a little mysterious.

The chosen lineup aroused curiosity and it was already a lot as many supporters, disgusted by the club's policy, began to turn away from the team and this season without joy.

It remained to be seen the result on the ground and it was rather conclusive, Marseille starting quickly and well in the wake of Payet, well lunated for his return to the post of N.10.

Cross-cutting, careful set pieces, instructions to his young teammates and even defensive races, the Reunionese took his role as playmaker very seriously.

But the opening came from Alvaro, the first to take advantage of the innumerable technical failures of Nice, in this case that of Lees-Melou (1-0, 14th).

Two assists against Lens, a volley from the left in the skylight against Nice: the interim Larguet succeeds at the Spanish central defender.

After this first quarter of an hour removed, OM retained control of the game but did not offer much until a good collective movement, concluded with a strike from Khaoui on the bar (41st).

- miracle at the end of the match -

But a minute later, the Tunisian international, variable of adjustment of the Marseille workforce since his arrival in 2016, found the reward for his excellent match by taking back a center behind Luis Henrique, himself nicely launched by a Payet's heel (2-0, 42nd).

The young Brazilian (19) is still tender but it was a match for him: the Nice defenders, Pelmard and Nsoki in the lead, are even more so.

The start of the second period then raised fears of a Marseille relapse, with a Nice goal signed Gouiri in the middle of an ultra-passive defense (2-1, 47th).

But it was really the evening of Khaoui, who scored twice (3-1, 54th) with a shot placed after a corner absurdly conceded by the Niçois.

Marseille, however, lacks too much confidence and serenity to control a result and could not avoid an end to the match in the form of a wind of panic.

Sellouki first brought the Nice down to 3-2 in the 87th minute before Gouiri's last-chance free kick in added time.

He hit the post, then bounced off Mandanda, hilarious at this near-miracle, before being cleared.

"You have to win to stay alive in this championship," Larguet said on Tuesday.

There is still a breath of life at OM.

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