A festival of goals against Toulouse (6-1) to end 2022 and a rather open calendar to start 2023, including a trip to Montpellier (12th) on Monday: OM approach the resumption of the championship on the right foot, but know the period full of pitfalls.
To discover
Calendar and results Ligue 1
League 1 standings
Before the World Cup, OM had emerged from a very complicated phase by beating two big names, Lyon (1-0) and Monaco (3-2), which had allowed them to both cling to the leading wagon and chasing away the atmosphere of crisis which always sets in a little more quickly in Marseille than elsewhere.
By clearly beating the TFC on Thursday, Igor Tudor's team finally reinstalled themselves on the podium (3rd) and will leave for Montpellier on Monday reassured about their strengths and their current value.
“
We are very happy.
The group worked really well and we had a match that was perhaps almost perfect.
We must continue like this.
This is the first but there are still many to come
, ”said goalkeeper Pau Lopez, still impeccable against the Violets.
“
We were keen to resume well after this unusual break.
We also wanted to continue this series started before the break and we did it in a good way.
Physically, it will be better and better
, ”assured captain Dimitri Payet, brought to find playing time with the injury of Amine Harit, whose season is over.
Tudor was also pleased with what he had seen at the Vélodrome, which he said was the result of working with a small group between Marseille and Marbella during the unusual November-December break.
“
We were able to work with quality and peace of mind.
I was missing a few players but we did a good job, I think.
But it's also a job we've been doing for five months.
There are bases on which to start again
, ”he said before Thursday's match.
Beware of the transfer window
Not the type to ignite for a good result, the very placid Chancel Mbemba came to remind him on Saturday that success against Toulouse was not worth more than a 1-0 snatch victory and that he gave no guarantee before face Montpellier, where Marseille supporters will be banned except for 500 of them with tickets and authorized access to the stadium.
“
It will be a very difficult game.
We won 6-1 but we know it's going to be tough all the same.
We have to stay focused on our job, on what we have to do.
We are going to give our all and we must continue to work
,” said the Congolese defender.
“
What's important is to keep your head calm and work game by game.
That's how we do good things
, ”he added.
The calendar is rather favorable to OM with, after Monday's trip to Montpellier, another trip to Troyes, then the reception of Lorient.
But the period will also be marked by the transfer window, open since this Sunday, and the month of January should as often be agitated in Marseille on this ground.
“
Numerically, we lost a lot of players.
If we want to achieve the objectives set, I think we will have to strengthen the offensive sector
, “said Payet on Thursday, referring to Harit’s injury and the departures, confirmed or about to be, of Luis Suarez and Gerson.
“
On the players who have to leave, it's done or almost done.
In the direction of arrivals, we are working on it
, ”put Tudor into perspective on Saturday.
But the Croatian knows January can be hot.