Thursday in the Europa League Conference against Qarabag (3-0), Guendouzi did a little more than a full match.

As usual, he ran around, harassed his opponents and pushed his teammates, and he even scored a goal.

Rarer, he also managed to cancel another, the one written by hand by Qarabag striker Ibrahima Wadji.

Furious, the Marseille midfielder followed the Senegalese everywhere, not at all afraid of the idea of ​​​​going to confront the whole opposing team.

Wadji even revealed on RMC that Guendouzi had asked him not to lie, God risking "punishing" him.

Mission accomplished and goal cancelled, the former Arsenal player still had energy to lead the party on the bus bringing OM back to Baku airport, as shown in a video posted by Dimitri Payet on the social networks.

In December, Guendouzi explained that this fighting temperament which works wonders in Marseille was deeply rooted in him.

"I remain myself. I will always push, always be there for them. I do not invent a role for myself, I have always been like that."

And Thursday's game in Azerbaijan is ultimately a good summary of all that the new international brings to OM, to the point of appearing as one of the two or three players really essential to Sampaoli, as well summary Frédéric Antonetti in November.

"The danger was Payet, a world-class player. Him and Guendouzi. The rest are good players, but nothing more," said the Metz coach.

Tactical maturity

The figures also show it: OM have played 37 matches this season and Guendouzi has started 34. In the other three, he came into play.

At his side, or a little behind him, Guendouzi often found Boubacar Kamara, another centerpiece of the moving and sometimes confusing device of Sampaoli.

At 22, the native of Marseilles shows impressive tactical maturity.

Trained as a central defender and installed as a sentry by Rudi Garcia, Kamara has still traveled a lot on the pitch this season.

Boubacar Kamara with OM against Montpellier in the Coupe de France at the Vélodrome stadium, January 29, 2022 Nicolas TUCAT AFP / Archives

At the start of the exercise, he thus occupied the hybrid position of right side / N.6 that Sampaoli now entrusts rather to Valentin Rongier.

For the past few matches, Kamara has now played in his two traditional positions, alternating at times: in the offensive phase, he is a midfielder, and when OM no longer have the ball, he goes back down to position himself in the center of defense. which then forms a line of five.

"These changes do not shock us. You see the matches but we work during the week, the coach knows what he is doing. We know that we can change the structure at any time. We work in several positions, several systems and we must adapt in matches," Kamara said on Wednesday in Baku.

Essential within this OM version 2021-2022, the two men should on the other hand leave next season, Kamara being at the end of the contract in June and an extension being every day more unlikely.

Guendouzi, he should stay, the purchase option attached to his loan being automatically activated in the event of maintenance.

"I'm having a lot of fun and I intend to register for OM over the long term. It's natural," he said.

© 2022 AFP