Saint-Etienne (AFP)

Marseille lost 1-0 on Sunday in Saint-Etienne at the end of an unspectacular match on the 36th day of Ligue 1 and again lost precious points in their race for a European qualification.

Already hooked at the Stade Vélodrome by Strasbourg (1-1), on April 30, after being led until the 86th minute and the equalizer snatched by Dario Benedetto, OM was not more incisive at the Geoffroy stadium -Guichard.

Argentina's Jorge Sampaoli's team remains fifth in the standings, remaining under threat from Lens (6th) who also has 56 points and Rennes (7th) two lengths away before hosting Paris SG on Sunday evening.

ASSE, already victorious in Montpellier (2-1) on May 2, moved from 12th to 11th place with 45 points, thus definitely securing its place in Ligue 1.

This is the second defeat since the takeover of the team by Sampaoli after that conceded in Nice on March 20 (3-0).

The Phocéens however remained on a series of five matches without losing.

It was Arnaud Nordin who gave his team a decisive advantage at the end of the first period when he received a cross from Wahbi Khazri after a missed intervention by the Argentinian Leonardo Balerdi (43rd).

Khazri was the catalyst for the Greens before half-time with several dangerous actions such as a cross that no one picked up early in the game (9th) before he failed twice in front of Steve Mandanda in the same 19th minute.

Finally, the Marseille goalkeeper also intervened well against Denis Bouanga (39).

- Sterile domination of OM -

Unable to print the slightest pace on a soporific meeting, OM relied above all on the set pieces of Florian Thauvin whose attempt was narrowly missed (27th) and especially Dimitri Payet after the break .

He narrowly missed the frame (52nd) before finding the post (56th) and then pushing the young Stéphanois goalkeeper Etienne Green (20 years old) to the parade (77th).

The latter, while Marseille dominated in a sterile way the second period, was once again decisive in the performance of the Greens.

He also deflected a shot from Luis Henrique in a tight angle (65th) while a header from Balerdi passed just above (75th) and another from Arkadiusz Milik missed the frame (82nd).

Green again saved his team on a recovery from the head of Benedetto, who had just come into play (84th) who therefore did not save Olympique de Marseille as against Strasbourg.

Dominator without finding the opening, OM thus opened up to Saint-Etienne counterparts.

Some could have been better negotiated but Mandanda also preserved his team from a second goal in front of Romain Hamouma (83rd) or Bouanga (85th) which was stopped in-extremis by Alvaro Gonzalez while the Stéphanois seemed to go on goal (86th ).

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