PLAYER RATINGS | Marseille 1-1 Strasbourg: Late goal from substitute Sebas rescues a point for visitors

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·12 January 2024

PLAYER RATINGS | Marseille 1-1 Strasbourg: Late goal from substitute Sebas rescues a point for visitors

Ligue 1 returned following the end of the winter break with a clash that would see Olympique de Marseille host Racing Club de Strasbourg Alsace. A contest that would pit 6th against 9th.

Marseille looked to continue their resurgence under Gennaro Gattuso into the new year with a fast start against Strasbourg. A low-driven cross into Vitinha kept alive a routine set-piece. The record-signing flicked the ball into the path of the onrushing Samuel Gigot who headed home to open the scoring for Les Phocéens in the 3rd minute.

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It was a goal that looked to continue a trend of eighteen games for Strasbourg against Marseille without a victory. Strasbourg were fighting against the tides of their recent history but did so valiantly, by taking control of possession. They looked to patiently knit passes through a defence that had only conceded twice this season at home.

Kevin Gamerio came close when he finished a passing combination that pulled the Marseille defence out of shape, but his shot was low and towards Pau López. Chances beyond that were fairly slim for the visitors.

Les Phocéens were aggressive out of possession and snapped into challenges. Once they got the ball, Marseille looked to attack on the break with fast counters but ultimately they missed a clinical edge to add to their lead. The first half ended with Marseille the stronger side, but providing enough of a glimmer of hope for Strasbourg to consider that they were still in this.

Strasbourg came into the second half as the stronger side as they carried on their dominance of possession. However, as the lowest goal scorers in the top half of the table, Strasbourg struggled as they have done so most of this season in converting their advantageous positions into shots on goal. They flooded the Marseille box but left without so much as a trace to indicate that they had been there.

Despite their dominance, it was Marseille that came closest to scoring in the second half, as Jordan Veretout’s shot looked destined to find the net at the misfortune of Habib Diarra whose block only seemed to drag the ball closer towards the inevitable. Somehow the ball did not cross the line, and the defence could clear their lines.

Geoffrey Kondogbia pulled up injured to add to Marseille’s selection woes with seven of their players away at the Africa Cup of Nations, while Ángel Correa and Valentin Rongier are out injured. The new addition of Jean Onana was brought on to make his debut for his new club.

The game looked to be fizzling out as it reached added time. Marseille had struggled in the second half, but it seemed like they had done enough to secure a victory over their visitors. However, a late freekick from Strasbourg was poorly defended by the hosts, and as the ball ricocheted around the box, it was calmly converted by the substitute Jérémy Sebas who had come on for Ângelo Gabriel late in the game.

Marseille player ratings

Pau López, 5

Leonardo Balerdi, 5

Samuel Gigot, 7 – Played an impressive role as an overlapping centreback. Looked to continuously bomb forward, and caused chaos with these movements. Let down only by his team on capitalising on these opportunities.

Bamo Méïté, 5

Michael Amir Murillo, 5

Bilal Nadir, 5

Geoffrey Kondogbia, 5

Jordan Veretout, 5

Jonathan Clauss, 4

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, 3 – Far too uninvolved in the game, and wasteful when provided with the limited opportunities.

Vitinha, 5 – a familiar story for the record signing. A positive force out-of-possession but unable to provide much of a threat to the goal. Looked better as a creator in the strike partnership rather than a finisher.