Roberto De Zerbi avoided defeat in his competitive home debut as Olympique de Marseille battled to a thrilling 2-2 draw against Stade de Reims at the Stade Vélodrome. This hard-fought encounter saw both teams share the spoils for the first time in their last six meetings.Reims, who were reduced to 10 men in their opening day loss to Lille, faced a Marseille side brimming with confidence after their emphatic victory over Brest. The home team carried that momentum into the match, breaking the deadlock midway through the first half. Amine Harit showcased his class by slotting a first-time finish into the bottom right corner, expertly converting Quentin Merlin’s precise cross from the left flank.Given their poor defensive record on the road, with just one clean sheet in their previous 22 top-flight away games, it was little surprise that Reims struggled to contain Marseille’s relentless pressure. Elye Wahi had several chances to extend Marseille’s lead before halftime, but his finishing lacked the necessary precision. Reims’ goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf made a series of outstanding saves, while our own Joseph Okumu produced a remarkable goal-line clearance to keep the visitors in the game.As so often happens in football, Marseille were punished for their missed chances early in the second half. Reims quickly turned the match on its head, beginning with Sergio Akieme’s unstoppable strike from the edge of the box that found the near post. Moments later, Yaya-Kader Fofana stunned the Vélodrome with a brilliant solo effort. In his first Ligue 1 start, the Ivorian winger took on Marseille’s entire right side before beating Leonardo Balerdi and blasting a shot past Gerónimo Rulli from a tight angle.Urged on by their passionate supporters, Marseille came close to equalizing when Jonathan Rowe struck the woodwork. Eventually, it was another Englishman, Mason Greenwood, who rescued a point for the hosts. The former Manchester United forward reacted quickest to nod home after Diouf had parried a shot from Quentin Merlin.Despite over a quarter-hour remaining, neither side could find a decisive goal, resulting in a share of the points – the first draw between these teams since December 2021. The result marks Marseille’s first setback of the season, while Reims can take pride in their resilient second-half display as they continue to search for their first league win of the campaign.LIGUE 1 – MATCHDAY 2FridayPSG – Montpellier 6-0 (2-0)/Barcola 4, 53, Asensio 24, Hakimi 58, Zaire-Emery 60, Lee 82/SaturdayOlympique Lyon – Monaco 0-2 (0-0)/Ben Seghir 65, Camara 80/Lille – Angers 2-0 (1-0)/Meunier 34, Bayo 90+4/Saint-Etienne – Le Havre 0-2 (0-0)/Toure 57 pen, Sangante 67/SundayLens – Brest 2-0 (2-0)/Chavez 19, Le Cardinal 45 og/Strasbourg – Rennes 3-1 (1-0)/Santos 23, Emegha 48, Wooh 87 og – Blas 57/Nice – Toulouse 1-1 (0-0)/Clauss 53 – Babicka 73/Nantes – Auxerre 2-0 (1-0)/Simon 14, Guirassy 90+5/Olympique Marseille – Reims 2-2 (1-0)/Harit 25, Greenwood 71 – Akieme 51, Fofana 55/
