Ligue 1, 15th day – OM wins in pain against Troyes (1-0), Lirola decisive in a Velodrome behind closed doors

Small success but great operation for OM. At the end of the 15th day, Jorge Sampaoli’s players overcame Troyes on Sunday (1-0). In a Stade Velodrome behind closed doors, the Phocéens were still rough but were able to make the difference thanks to Pol Lirola (74th). They returned to victory and returned above all to Nice, third, with 26 points. ESTAC is 17th with 13 units.

The Olympian coach had again bet on a four-way defense with Valentin Rongier and Luan Peres as full backs and was able to benefit from the return of his playmaker Dimitri Payet, suspended during the defeat in the Europa League to Galatasaray (4-2). Despite the absence of the public, his men entered the meeting with envy and dynamism, but also a certain haste, which caused many losses of ball against the rigorous Trojans in defense.

Payet in all the right moves

Aggressive in their pressing, the visitors sometimes went too hard in a rough start to the match. However, this aggressiveness allowed them to be regularly threatening against and the right piston Giulian Biancone was able to unleash the only shot on target of the first period in a closed angle (31st). Not enough to surprise Pau Lopez. But it was still better than OM who failed to solicit the Trojan goalkeeper Gauthier Gallon with his five attempts before the break.

On resumption, the Phocéens were a little more fair in their passes in the opposing camp. Perfectly launched in the axis by Payet, Arkadiusz Milik was able to enter alone in the zone of truth but Gallon pushed back his shot (62nd). Bamba Dieng replaced a little-known Konrad De La Fuente (69th), but it was the Polish center-forward who got a new opportunity with a head stuck to six meters on a cross from Payet. A gunshot that Gallon again deflected (71st).

Lirola, him, did not spoil the good work and the openness of his Reunion teammate at the level of the central circle and, even if he could not believe his eyes, spun alone in depth towards the zone of truth before adjusting Gallon (1-0, 74th). The Spaniard took advantage of a gross misalignment of the opposing defense to unlock his counter this season.

Despite the injury exit of Adil Rami (80th), Troyes tried to push in the last quarter of an hour. Not enough to avoid a third loss in a row without scoring a single goal. The Marseillais, them, found the net at home after their failures against PSG and Metz. Above all, they got back in the direction of travel.