OM's first period, which was exciting and accomplished, showed that the work of Igor Tudor was really starting to bear fruit.

But the second, duller and sometimes hesitant, proved that there was still work and progress to be made.

In the end, Marseille and its new coach had the great merit of taking advantage of the rather peaceful calendar which had been reserved for them during this month of August.

After five days, they have 13 points and must aim for three more this weekend in Auxerre.

Then it will already be Tottenham, the Champions League and endless matches.

It will then no longer really be a question of work, but just of recovery and freshness.

In the meantime, Marseille therefore delivered a two-sided match this Wednesday, the first having been by far the most beautiful.

After these sometimes remarkable 45 minutes, how did OM manage not to be in the lead?

By clumsiness, a little bit, sometimes by lack of accuracy, no doubt, but also a bit by miracle as the match was so one-sided.

The inventory began with a narrow recovery next to Sanchez on a cross shot from Clauss (15th) and it continued with an avalanche of chances, some of them very frank, with in particular two strikes on the bar, signed Rongier (19th) then Nuno Tavares (24th).

#photo1

Clermont then was just running and making mistakes, unable to resist the rhythm of OM, who each game play a little higher and press a little harder, in accordance with what Tudor demands.

Penalty postponed

Behind, Eric Bailly was also established for the first time and brought a little more solidity to the whole, quite a deterrent for the Auvergne attackers.

Between the 15th minute and the break, the danger came from everywhere and it is not just an expression, since even central defender Samuel Gigot tried his luck, launched in depth by Dimitri Payet (38th).

#photo2

As against Nice on Sunday, the Marseille N.10 was associated with Alexis Sanchez, but the duo which makes the eyes shine was less precise than at the Allianz Riviera and that is perhaps what was missing at the Om.

The only goal of the match also arrived on a stopped phase, a corner struck by Payet after a new strike from the right of the left-handed specialist Nuno Tavares and taken from the head by Pape Gueye (1-0, 50th).

Then, a sign of a much less controlled second period, it was rather Clermont who was dangerous, hitting the bar twice in quick succession by Muhammed Cham and Yohann Magnin (56th), or with a shot from the former Marseillais Saifeddine Khaoui.

OM had physically taken a toll in their pressing and harassing business in the first period and this allowed Clermont to exist.

#photo3

The affair would however have been heard a little before the end if Sanchez had converted the penalty obtained by Chancel Mbemba, a very safe bet at the start of the Marseille season.

But Mory Diaw diverted it well (86th) and the stadium had to wait to explode.

The next time the Vélodrome will find its players will be for the Champions League, and Marseille have been waiting for this for a while.

© 2022 AFP