Ligue 1: Nîmes sinks OM at the Vélodrome

Stupor at the Vélodrome where Nîmes, red lantern of Ligue 1, brought down Olympique de Marseille by a chilly end of the afternoon this Saturday.

As the hour mark approached, the Crocs, who remained in eight games without a win, crucified the Phocéens with two goals from Niclas Eliasson.

The Swede, who had never scored in Ligue 1, first opportunely cut a powerful center-shot from Alakouch in the area (0-1, 55th).

Less than three minutes later, the same Alakouch, subtly served in the depth by Ferhat, fixed Pelé and stung his ball to Eliasson at the second post, for the double (0-2, 58th).

In the first period, the players of André Villas-Boas had certainly dominated but had shown themselves powerless to shake the opposing nets.

The palm certainly goes to Thauvin, rather stirring in the game but unable to transform the penalty offered to OM, following a ball that came to the hand of Alakouch (35th).

Facing Reynet, the world champion striker started limply and placed his shot halfway up the inside of the left foot just flush with Reynet's right post.

This is the third penalty missed out of four for OM in the league so far, after two failures by Payet and Thauvin previously.

Previously, the Marseillais had obtained a set of chances, all wasted by lack of efficiency in the last gesture.

Sanson took a volley with his right foot but hit Reynet (16th).

In the process, Payet sent a powerful shot with his right foot in a closed angle on the left side but without surprising the Nîmes goalkeeper (17th).

Finally, Benedetto failed to tackle a goal ball from close range, following a cross from the left of Payet (36 ').

"You have to respect the jersey, at least run, fight"

Although largely dominated but not overwhelmed, the Crocos could have returned to the locker room at the break with a goal in advance, if Pelé had not managed to deflect on his left post an uncrossed header from Koné, well found by Ferhat (45th + 1).

Despite four substitutions at once (66th) - Sakai by Khaoui, Benedetto by Radonjic, Thauvin by Germain, Sanson by Cuisance - Payet and his partners, apparently stunned, have not succeeded in turning the situation around, despite a goal from Benedetto, following a ball lost by Cubas (1-2, 85th).

"We can not do shit like today, said defender Alvaro at the microphone of Téléfoot.

You have to respect the jersey, at least run, fight.

We didn't do anything today.

We need more ambition.

With all due respect to Nîmes, you can't play this kind of match when you're playing in the Champions League.

"

Thanks to this unexpected success, Jérôme Arpinon's team temporarily climbed to 18th place, ahead of Dijon and Lorient, 19th and 20th respectively.

OM, whose fourth defeat this season was only beaten once at home, by Saint-Etienne in a matchday 1 played in mid-September.

The Villas-Boas team is now seriously taken down by the leading teams.

And the series of matches that awaits OM does not encourage optimism: Lens, Monaco, Rennes, Lens again, then PSG ...