• Olympique de Marseille's defensive line is the most prolific in terms of goals, ahead of attack and midfield.

  • This reflects coach Igor Tudor's desire to see all his players “move forward”.

  • However, OM's defense is not left without it, thanks to the collective efforts of all the players.

In football, contrary to the adage that "the best defense is attack", it is often said that success is first built on an iron defence.

In Marseille, the current season takes on yet another reality since in addition to protecting their goalkeeper Pau Lopez well, the OM defenders are also the top scorers. 

Whether on set pieces or in the game, they all brought their attacking share – apart from Eric Bailly, often injured or suspended.

Nuno Tavares has five goals, Chancel Mbemba has four, Sead Kolasinac has three, Samuel Gigot has two and finally Jonathan Clauss, Leo Balerdi and Issa Kaboré have each found the net once.

For a nice total, all competitions combined, of 17 goals since the start of the season, when the attackers are at 15 and the midfielders at 14. 

"Everyone go forward"

Impressive figures that Samuel Gigot explain by the desire of his coach Igor Tudor to see his defenders "active in the attack phase".

“We are all concerned by this, we must all attack together to bring the surplus.

It's good because it smiles on us.

We must continue like this, even if our first job remains to defend well, ”he says.

Even if Igor Tudor admits that "it's not really the plan", he appreciates this "little extra" and confirms his desire to see his defenders project themselves.

“My game idea is for everyone to go forward, for everyone to be carried forward, central defenders too.

The players work a lot to have automatisms, ”confides the coach.


Strong presence in the opposing camp

Julien Saint Jalmes, member of Ta Compo, a sports advice agency for players and agents based on performance analysis, is especially impressed by the number of phases in which defenders rise.

“Tudor wants to put his players in numerical superiority on one side, which forces the defenders to have a lot of freedom on the offensive phases.

And above all, on a lot of phases of play, when some teams are content to bring in only a few phases.

Mbemba is the most important player for that, because he has the safe and the velocity to do it, ”said the analyst.

The Congolese rock is a wonderful illustration of this notion of going beyond the function.

The sequences where we see him take long strides into the opposing camp after having shifted his right piston are now part of the landscape when we watch an OM match.

If necessary, we advise you to go (re) take a look at his goal against Sporting in the Champions League or his XXL performance at the Parc des Princes despite the defeat against PSG to convince you. 


However, OM's ability to defend has not been undermined since the Marseillais remain the third best defense in the championship, with only 16 goals conceded.

“On certain plays, Tudor players are eight up front, with two defenders, or a defender and a midfielder, covering.

The team block is very high, and the opposing block is therefore very low, so they are starting too far.

Often, Samuel Gigot, in the position of last defender, is in the opposing part of the central circle.

And all his teammates are in the opposing 40 meters, ”analyzes Julien Saint Jalmes.

A strong offensive presence to score, and a high defensive coverage, so that the opponent goes too far, or to recover the ball very high, to summarize.


"Impressed to see everyone's efforts"

So many characteristics that require a lot of effort, hence the strong preparation of the Croatian coach at the start of the season, then during the break.

But Julien Saint Jalmes is above all “impressed to see the efforts of everyone in the workforce”.

“That's exactly it, we all get along very well, we are very happy for the boyfriend when he is on the pitch.

And that pulls us all in the same direction and that's great.

Anyone who plays, we are happy and we want them to perform well because the team comes first, ”abounds Samuel Gigot.

This collective success is carrying OM this season, and covers the attackers' difficulties in scoring.

Only Alexis Sanchez culminates in 9 goals, when the second top scorer in the attack line is the Colombian Luis Suarez, since loan to Almeria.

It is not for nothing that Pablo Longoria is active in bringing a striker to Marseille before the end of the transfer window.

Sport

OM: Kolasinac's home burglarized during the match against Rennes, his partner and his daughter shocked

Sport

OM: Fans forced to change their pre-match habits

  • Sport

  • Soccer

  • League 1

  • Olympic Marseille (OM)

  • Igor Tudor

  • Defense