Unbeaten in Ligue 1 (2 wins, 1 draw and a match to replay against Nice) before moving on the lawn of AS Monaco, this Saturday night in Ligue 1, the Marseillais had made this duel between teams pretending to the 'Europe is the rendezvous not to be missed to confirm their role as spoilers.
By winning 2-0 to Louis-II with enthusiasm and style, OM asserted their status, and struck a blow during the first big shock of this season that Didier Deschamps had come to observe.
What you must remember
Watching this Olympique de Marseille there, little chance of getting bored this season.
All the more so when Jorge Sampaoli takes a few jokes out of his hat at kick-off: Boubacar Kamara propelled captain in place of Steve Mandanda on the bench, the usual right-back Pol Lirola positioned right attacking midfielder and the post of striker occupied by the young Bamba Dieng, 21 years old.
Tactical adaptations conditioned by those absent in the offensive sector - Dimitri Payet (thigh) and Arkadiusz Milik (recovery phase).
And which have borne fruit.
Dieng it's beautiful to see đ
- Michy Batshuayi (@mbatshuayi) September 11, 2021
Embarrassed by the system, the envy and the determination of Olympians sucked forward, the Monegasques had all the trouble in the world to contain Dieng, irresistible in front.
Unhappy twice by hitting the left post (13th) then the right (28th), the Senegalese finished adjusting the sights with class with a shot grazing towards the near post (0-1, 37th).
He then offered himself a double in power (0-2, 60th) to conclude a huge performance, and propel OM Sampaoli third in L 1 behind PSG and Angers.
đž The joy of a whole group for Dieng's second goal well served by @ Amine_000 đđ„ #ASMOM pic.twitter.com/DTIfCcd7PC
- Olympique de Marseille (@OM_Officiel) September 11, 2021
For Monaco, fallen to fourteenth place, the scenario could have tipped in the other direction at the start of the meeting if a blunder by Leonardo Balerdi had not been badly exploited by Wissam Ben Yedder (12th), or if Kevin Volland or Gelson Martins had converted the offering of the French neo-international Aurélien Tchouaméni (19th).
Then nothing.
This setback is a new stop to a season that was already slow to start (only one victory in five games now).
The player: Pau Lopez
It was the huge surprise of the eleven of OM: Steve Mandanda started on the bench, supplanted by Pau Lopez in the Olympian goal.
A strong choice made by Sampaoli, which we will never really know if it was wise or not, since the Spanish goalkeeper has too rarely been requested by weak Monegasques.
The former Roma goalkeeper, at 26, will have had a rather quiet first start in Ligue 1.
He communicated a lot with his teammates, not hesitating to guide when necessary his defensive triplet Peres-Balerdi-Saliba.
Struggled by a completely failed back pass from William Saliba (22nd), Lopez seemed on the path of a header from Volland passed just above (48th).
Let's wait and see the goalkeeper at work during a higher opposition, if he retains his place in the cage.
The number: 1
Olympique de Marseille has lost only one of its last twelve matches played in the Championship (7 wins, 4 draws), it was on May 9 on the lawn of Saint-Etienne (0-1).