Another victory for De Zerbi and the boys from the south

Marseille closed the gap on leaders Paris Saint-Germain to seven points at the top of Ligue 1 after crushing strugglers Le Havre 5-1 at the Velodrome on Sunday as the season approaches the halfway point. Marseille have won five and drawn one of their last six outings in all competitions, and have scored nine goals in two matches either side of the fortnight-long winter break. The victory also allowed Quentin Merlin to grab attention—literally. Not only was he easy to spot with his new hair, but he also made a determined effort to make an impact.🇲🇦✨ Bilal Nadir (21) scored his FIRST goal for Marseille today! 💙🤍Big moment for the young midfielder. pic.twitter.com/nx4GYTUI4B— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) January 5, 2025 This was evident from the start, as he participated in the buildup of an attack finished off by Valentin Rongier. Then, within four minutes, he set up two goals, demonstrating how dangerous he can be offensively. In his first season in Ligue 1, wearing Nantes’ yellow jersey, Merlin managed three assists. Now, he has achieved the same tally after just nine matches this season. At only 22 years old, with significant room for growth, he is already a member of France’s U-21 national team, which will attempt to claim the title at the tournament in Slovakia next summer. In five qualification matches for the U-21 French side, he provided four assists. Add to that his two assists at the club level, and it’s clear he played a key role in ensuring Marseille’s victory was never in doubt. Nor did the fans have any reason to worry, considering the historical data. Marseille has only lost to Le Havre at home once—back in December 1938, when these teams first met at the Velodrome. Since then, Marseille has won 14 matches (including this one) and drawn six. Overall, that’s 21 consecutive games—home or away—without a loss against Le Havre, tying their record against Toulouse for favorite opponents.MARSEILLE 1-0 LE HAVRE ⚽️What a goal by Valentin Rongier! 🚀 pic.twitter.com/AGXnO3UnWy— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) January 5, 2025 What especially pleases Roberto De Zerbi is that Quentin Merlin assisted one of the goals scored by Bilal Nadir, marking the youngster’s first goal for Marseille in his debut as a starter for the famed club. Another reason for satisfaction is the team’s attacking firepower, as they scored five goals in a game for the third time this season. However, one worrying detail is that goalkeeper Gerónimo Rulli has conceded in six consecutive home matches. To ease fans’ concerns somewhat, the goal was scored by André Ayew, a former Marseille striker.LIGUE 1 – MATCHDAY 16Friday Nice – Rennes 3-2 (3-1)/Guessand 12, Diop 34, Laborde 45+5 – Kalimuendo 27, Truffert 49/Saturday Saint-Etienne – Reims 3-1 (0-1)/Boakye 50,57, Stassin 80 – Nakamura 42/Lille – Nantes 1-1 (1-0)/Gudmundsson 40 – Aoline 70 pen/Olympique Lyon – Montpellier 1-0 (0-0)/Fayad 90+1 og/Sunday Angers – Brest 1-0 (1-0)/Lepaul 6/Lens – Toulouse 0-1 (0-1)/Aboukhlal 73 pen/Strasbourg – Auxerre 3-1 (1-1)/Diarra 45+4 pen, Lemarechal 59, Emegha 87 – Traore 14/Olympique Marseille – Le Havre 5-1 (3-0)/Rongier 25, Nadir 39, Maupay 43, Wahi 66, Garcia 75 – Ayew 85/

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