Nantes (AFP)
The end of the crisis is still a long way off for Marseille, which could not do better than a draw (1-1), Saturday at La Beaujoire, against Nantes barely recovering, during the 26th day of Ligue 1.
Olympians saved by an excellent outpouring from Dimitri Payet for an equalizer coming to catch up with a huge blunder from Steve Mandanda on the opening of the Nantes score.
5th place is getting closer, but OM only managed to rise to the level of Rennes, which plays in Montpellier on Sunday, before starting a hellish triptych with Lyon, Lille and Stade Rennes in 8 days.
Sailing from storm to storm this winter, Marseille goes on a 7th trip without success (3 losses, 4 draws) after winning 11 of the 14 previous away matches.
For their part, the Nantes people temporarily extricate themselves from the red zone, overtaking the goal difference Lorient, which receives Lille on Sunday.
After recording their first victory last week in Angers since the beginning of November, they will have the opportunity to take off in front of a direct competitor next week in Nîmes.
- Mandanda's blunder -
Nasser Larguet, the director of the training center in charge of the interim at OM after the departure of Andre Villas-Boas, had chosen to line up the same eleven as in Wednesday's victory against Nice (3-2) , betting once again on Bamba Dieng, Luis Henrique and Saif-Eddine Khaoui.
If the Tunisian international, author of a double Wednesday, was still pressing, the two young attackers did not succeed in existing and had to give up their place at half-time to Valère Germain and Valentin Rongier, who was back at La Beaujoire.
Despite 70% possession of the ball in the first period, the Marseillais were much too timid to create real opportunities, while opposite, the Nantes remained concentrated but not pressing in defense, also contenting themselves with long balls towards the front.
In the end, 45 minutes without the slightest shot on target on either side.
The pace finally picked up on the return from the locker room, and thanks in part to the Marseille goalkeeper, who completely missed his clearance on a harmless receding pass from Alvaro.
Coming to the pressing, Ludovic Blas only had to push the ball into the empty goal (1-0, 40th).
Stung, the Marseillais tried to react, led by a suddenly very restless Dimitri Payet.
And after a too crossed head of Duje Caleta-Car, it is the fantastic Marseille midfielder who is responsible for equalizing.
- Payet appears and equalizes -
On a ball recovered by Rongier and centered by Yuto Nagatomo, Payet appeared in the axis to deceive Alban Lafont with a recovery of the right (1-1, 69th).
In an increasingly tense climate, the opportunities then became clearer on both sides but without success: Imran Louza was a few centimeters away from cutting a cross from the head (72nd), Payet forced Lafont to relax on a floating strike almost from the center line (79th) ...
Nothing to reassure or calm the anger of the supporters of the two teams, the wind up against their leaders.
On Friday, the six groups of OM supporters, gathered at a rare joint press conference, again demanded the departure of the club president, Jacques-Henri Eyraud.
The management of OM, for its part, threatened at the start of the week to break the agreement between the club and these associations after the serious incidents at the Commanderie training center in January.
At the same time, the sling does not weaken either against Waldemar Kita, owner and president of FC Nantes mocked for his erratic management of the club.
On Saturday, a few hundred Nantes supporters again demonstrated against "FC Kita", as before every match at La Beaujoire since December.
© 2021 AFP