Second in the standings, OM, which has a fifth consecutive away victory and remains on a qualification for the Coupe de France at the expense of PSG (2-1), Wednesday, is five points behind the Parisians beaten in Monaco ( 3-1), earlier in the afternoon of Saturday.

For its part, Clermont lost for the second time in a row after the defeat also conceded at home against Clermont (2-0) on February 5.

The match started forty-five minutes late due to incidents outside the stadium caused by less than a hundred ultra Marseille supporters without tickets trying to force their way into the enclosure.

These individuals were repelled by the police who used tear gas, which made the air unbreathable for the 13,000 spectators at the Gabriel-Montpied stadium but also for the players.

Marseillais Ruslan Malinovskyi (c) in the fight with Clermontois Aiman ​​Maurer, February 11, 2023 in Clermont-Ferrand © THIERRY ZOCCOLAN / AFP

Overall, even with three-quarters of an hour behind, OM controlled the game (63% possession of the ball) but only took the advantage on a penalty converted by Sanchez, awarded for a handball by Mohamed Cham following a free kick played by Ruslan Malinovskyi and deflected by goalkeeper Mory Diaw (41).

Hand of Cham

Two minutes later, the intervention of the video assistance prompted referee Rudy Buquet, who had not seen the fault, to see the hand of the Austrian to award the penalty (44).

The kick-off of the Clermont-Marseille meeting delayed due to tear gas, February 11, 2023 in Clermont-Ferrand © THIERRY ZOCCOLAN / AFP

At the end of the game, Sanchez definitively ensured the success of OM.

He took it twice with a header to convert a cross delivered from the right by Jonathan Clauss into a goal and make it 2-0 (81) before being replaced (84) in stride by the Portuguese Vitinha, arrived at the transfer window and the most expensive recruit in the history of Olympique de Marseille (32 M EUR).

Before the opener, despite Marseille dominating, Clermont had been incisive on the counterattack with an attempt by Cham, deflected by Pau Lopez (13) while a goal was denied to Grejohn Kyei for an offside position ( 24).

The Marseillais Sead Kolasinac (g) tackles the Clermontois Grejohn Kyei, February 11, 2023 in Clermont-Ferrand © THIERRY ZOCCOLAN / AFP

In the second half, OM, deprived at half-time of Samuel Gigot, injured in the right leg and replaced by Eric Bailly (46), failed to widen the gap on a shot from Jonathan Clauss (48), a another from Issa Kaboré diverted by Saif-Eddine Khaoui on the crossbar (49), while Jordan Veretout pushed Diaw to the parade (60).

At the very end of the game, a distant lob attempt from Malinovskyi landed narrowly next to Diaw's goal (90+4).

© 2023 AFP