Marseilles (AFP)

Enthusiastic and offensive, carried by the exceptional atmosphere of the Stade Vélodrome and the success of its recruits Guendouzi, Gerson or Ünder, OM left behind the incidents of Nice and clearly beat Saint-Etienne (3-1) on Saturday during of the 4th day of Ligue 1.

The Marseille public has more than a year of absence at the stadium to make up for and it also has stock of smoke, firecrackers and agricultural bombs.

So the smell of smoke still stung the nose and visibility was still reduced when the match started strong from the start with two big chances in two minutes, for Bouanga on the Greens side, then Rongier for OM.

"Management, staff and players: proud of you": some banners had also been deployed to recall the sad chaos of Nice last week, but as they had promised during the week, the Marseillais had their head in football.

Positioned in 3-4-3, with Valentin Rongier rather than Pape Gueye and Boubacar Kamara as a traditional sentinel rather than a right mid-side hybrid, Jorge Sampaoli's players got back into the match and were rewarded with the opening the scoring signed Guendouzi (1-0, 23rd).

Thursday, the former captain of the France Espoirs team had joked about how he had put his first Marseille goal ball "behind the stand" against Bordeaux.

This time, he placed his right shot low to the ground in Etienne Green's side net, after a nice Payet-Under-De la Fuente move.

Marseille supporters light smoke during the match against Saint-Etienne, August 28, 2021 in Marseille Nicolas TUCAT AFP

Dominators, with in particular a strike from Mattéo Guendouzi on the post (39th), and not particularly threatened, the Marseillais all the same then gave in on a header from Timothée Kolodziejczak after a corner remarkably struck by Adil Aouchiche (1-1, 32nd) .

- Under in all shots -

The result was fairly well paid at the break for the Greens then very harmless and OM logically regained the advantage by Gerson, author like Guendouzi of his first Marseille goal with a strike under the bar full of composure (51st) .

Guendouzi then Gerson: the first two goals recalled that Sampaoli's system and the absence of a center-forward offered midfielders the opportunity to come and see in the opposing box what they can glean there.

OM midfielder Matteo Guendouzi against Saint-Etienne, August 28, 2021 in Marseille Nicolas TUCAT AFP

The return of Arkadiusz Milik, present in the stands on Saturday alongside Frank McCourt and Pablo Longoria, will still do good, but even without N.9, OM leans frankly and greedily forward and it does not isn't asleep on his goal advantage.

While Steve Mandanda confirmed his rise to power with several important saves, the Olympians continued to seek the KO and obtained it, a little by chance, on a ball lost by the Stéphanois and reached Cengiz Ünder, goalscorer with a nice rolled shot from the left (68th).

Involved on all three goals, the Turk has had a good start to the season, like his team, which took seven points in three matches.

The fourth is not yet finished, it is that of Nice, and it must be concluded before the authorities.

Turkish OM striker Cengiz Ünder (l) tries to outflank Saint-Etienne defender Timothée Kolodziejczak, August 28, 2021 in Marseille Nicolas TUCAT AFP

By the next meeting on September 11 in Monaco, OM will have finished a transfer window that could still be active by Tuesday evening and will have recorded the decisions of the disciplinary committee expected on September 8.

In the meantime, he temporarily climbed to 5th place on Saturday and has already laid some foundations.

© 2021 AFP