Monaco (AFP)

Without Dimitri Payet or Steve Mandanda, but with the amazing Bamba Dieng, who scored twice for his first start of the season, OM confirmed their excellent start to the season by winning 2-0 on Saturday in Monaco, which for its part sinks into mediocrity.

There are of course a few matches to be played on Sunday, but OM have temporarily settled in third place in the standings with this third success of the season.

And then Marseille also has one match less, the famous Nice-OM that will have to be replayed on a date and on a still unknown lawn.

When the scoresheet arrived, OM's followers and supporters nevertheless scratched their heads: no Payet was expected, but no Mandanda, that was a surprise.

The absence of the captain was not felt because Monaco did nothing to test Pau Lopez, whose tenure in the Olympian cages demonstrated the will of the coach, Jorge Sampaoli, to place the 'irremovable Mandanda in competition.

But what worried the most in Marseille was having to play without Payet, impeccable and decisive since the start of the season in a role of false N.9.

- The Dieng festival -

The absence of the Reunion, combined with the late return of selection of Gerson, caused a series of reshuffles in the starting XI of Sampaoli.

And OM really deserves credit for having offered such a consistent game on an evening so loaded with new things, with the first tenures of the season for Bamba Dieng and Pol Lirola, and the Marseille debut of Amine Harit.

Because despite the absences, there was a lot of rhythm at the Louis-II stadium, and before OM won the showdown, the two teams were never afraid of exposing themselves to cons with each loss of ball.

But in this little game, it was the surprise guest, the young Dieng, who did the most harm, constantly seeking depth on the left side, where he did considerable damage.

However, he initially seemed cursed, with two symmetrical actions on which his two crossed strikes, one from the right (13th) and one from the left (28th), came to strike each of the posts of Alexander Nübel, beaten in both cases .

Senegalese striker from Marseille, Ahmadou Bamba Dieng, against Monaco, during Matchday 5 of Ligue 1, September 11, 2021 at Stade Louis II Valery HACHE AFP

The Senegalese (21) had another great opportunity, very poorly managed, which earned him a spectacular rant from Matteo Guendouzi, but he did not waste his fourth cartridge.

On a long opening by Luan Peres, he took advantage of the inexplicable placement of Axel Disasi and an intervention far too tender from Chrislain Matsima to go again to challenge Nübel.

- Gala success -

From the right, the young striker scored the second goal of his short career at OM (1-0, 37th) and put his own in the lead, a position deserved as Sampaoli's men were then more dangerous than the Monegasques.

Then Dieng doubled the setting on the hour of play, circling Disasi to score again from the right, after a recovery of Harit in front of passive Monegasques (2-0, 60th).

Senegalese striker from Marseille, Ahmadou Bamba Dieng (c), congratulated by his teammates, after his double against Monaco, during the 5th day of Ligue 1, September 11, 2021 at Stade Louis II Valery HACHE AFP

In the end, Marseille's success in this gala match, played in front of Didier Deschamps, Ludovic Giuly or Ricardo Carvalho, is absolutely indisputable, which recalls the great Monegasque difficulties of the moment.

Niko Kovac's men, so brilliant last year, find themselves 14th with four points and only one victory in five matches, at a time when the calendar will become even denser with the Europa League.

Marseille supporters are happy.

Their team is playing well and after the Vélodrome, they found Louis-II, another of their gardens, where they sang very loudly that they were at home, which on Saturday was indisputable.

© 2021 AFP