PLAYER RATINGS | Marseille 1-1 Metz: Ten-man Marseille held to draw in fiery week | OneFootball

Olympique de Marseille teeters at all times close to the self-destruct button, but after this week the club have momentarily taken a step back from the brink. The crisis meetings that have dominated the recent coverage look for the moment to have settled things, but anything less than a convincing victory against FC Metz could see the button firmly pressed.

However, Metz have given Marseille a run for their money in the past week as frustrations over the state of the club spilt out into a standoff between supporters and the police following the latest loss to FC Lorient. It was clear that no matter the result, one team would look to have a fiery weekend ahead.

Marseille were provided time on the ball as Metz sat back and tried to make themselves as compact as possible. It was clear that the visitors were looking to try their luck in transition, and almost found their opportunity when they won the ball deep in their half and quickly turned defence into attack. Marseille scrambled back as Metz attacked with numbers but a poor cross ended the hope.

The hosts were dominant and felt aggrieved to not receive a penalty after two glaring errors from the Metz goalkeeper Alexandre Oukidja. The crowd grew increasingly incensed with the decisions going against them, and the whistles soon rang out when Samuel Gigot’s tackle on Georges Mikautadze was referred to VAR.

The defender was adjudged to have taken down the Georgian forward when he was the last man meaning his yellow card was upgraded to a red, and the pressure was once again on the hosts. The rest of the half was far more end-to-end as Metz looked to take advantage of the game state and put pressure on a Marseille side in desperate need of a result.

Marseille struck first in the second half as Faris Moumbanga opened his account for his new club. However, the tempo that had dominated the game since the hosts went down to 10 men was maintained and Metz quickly equalised as they punished a defence unable to clear their lines with Matthieu Udol scoring the header to once again pile pressure onto Marseille.

The speed of the game then began to wane as the second half wore on and the hosts desperately tried to regain their lead. Metz dropped back and Marseille were frustrated as they failed to create many more meaningful opportunities. The game petered out and the whistles cascaded down from the stands.

In a must-win week for both sides, it felt fitting that neither Marseille nor Metz could arrest their struggles and find the goal that would release some of the tension bubbling under the surface. Meaning both sides remain winless since their return from the winter break.

Marseille player ratings

Pau López, 6

Quentin Merlin, 5

Leonardo Balerdi, 5

Bamo Meïté, 6 – Came into the match after Samuel Gigot was sent off. Bamo Meïté has in recent weeks shown a propensity to provide a calming presence in the backline, and he was necessary for his team tonight. A solid performance in a difficult scenario.

Jonathan Clauss, 6 – A return for Jonathan Clauss to the first team after his strange and unwanted transfer saga. The fullback showed exactly why he has been the most used outfield player for Les Phocéens as he provided a creative presence down the right-hand side. Also showed his solid defensive attributes as he performed well in both sides of the game.

Azzedine Ounahi, 5

Jean Onana, 5

Iliman Ndiaye, 6

Faris Moumbagna, 5 – Scored his first for the club. He looked fairly dangerous in the number-nine role and could well be an asset for a team that has struggled to identify players in this position. His touch was just a bit too heavy and he could often lose the ball when in key moments, but his positioning and willingness to press were encouraging.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, 5

Metz player ratings

Alexandre Oukidja, 4 – An inconsistent game reflective of his general performance this year. The goalkeeper had moments of exceptional clarity where his reflex saves worked to protect his team, but also moments where a rush of blood to the head left him in tricky scenarios. He was exceptionally lucky to not have conceded at least one penalty in the game.

Lamkel Zé, 5 – A bright start for the forward but he struggled to maintain his level in the second half.

Georges Mikautadze, 6  – Metz’s biggest threat up until his surprising substitution. His movement in the forward line was exceptional at creating separation from the Marseille backline. Had two huge chances for the visitors but in each opportunity shot directly at López.

GFFN | Nick Hartland