Recap: Rabiot, Greenwood Help OM Edge ASSE

Match Reports
Eduardo Razo
Published on 12/08/2024 at 23:30
3-minute read
Recap: Rabiot, Greenwood Help OM Edge ASSE

Olympique de Marseille secured a 2-0 win over AS Saint-Étienne on Sunday night at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard as Adrien Rabiot and Mason Greenwood provided the scoring punch for OM to leave with all three points.

In the first half, Marseille recorded nine total shots while the home side only registered two. Rabiot opened the scoring in the 17th minute with a sublime bit of skill, firing home a left-footed shot from the center of the box, finding the bottom right corner after receiving a through ball from Neal Maupay. The goal was confirmed after a VAR review, marking Rabiot's first with OM.

The visitors went into halftime with a 1-0 advantage, and in the second half, they added to their lead. OM received a penalty call after a foul on Greenwood and the Englishman stepped into the box to take the shot.

Greenwood missed the penalty kick but scored on the follow-up, giving Marseille a 2-0 lead in the 65th minute. The away side held onto the result for the rest of the contest and secured the victory.

After the match, Rabiot spoke to DAZN and shared his thoughts on the goal he scored in the win and the squad's current form as they now trail first-place Paris Saint-Germain by only five points.

"In the last few matches, I’ve been trying to adapt to the coach’s expectations, particularly by playing in a slightly more advanced position on the field. Tonight, I was pretty active around the goal, recovering the ball. Of course, scoring enhances my performance, but overall, I feel good. I’m getting stronger and starting to find my rhythm again, which feels really great..."

"The team is getting stronger week by week. We’re feeling good, finding our rhythm, and getting better and better with the coach. Winning brings confidence to everyone, and it’s really all about the mindset."

Saint-Étienne could have conceded more goals to OM if not for Gautier Larsonneur's impressive performance. The 27-year-old made eight crucial saves in the match, but despite his efforts, Olivier Dall'Oglio and his team couldn’t find the back of the net.

The loss isn't ideal for Saint-Étienne as this result puts them in the relegation playoff spot. Dylan Batubinsika also spoke to DAZN and noted they also have to turn the page to get themselves out of their current situation.

"From tomorrow, we need to get back to work. We knew today would be tough, that it would be a difficult match because we’re not in the same league as them. But on Friday, we have a very important match. We’ll need to go away and fight for points – it’s essential. We need to get back to work tomorrow morning, take points before the break, and get back on track in the league."

Roberto De Zerbi and his team will return at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard later this month to face Saint-Étienne in the Coupe de France Round of 64 on December 22.

The Stat: OM's Form This Season

Marseille have already scored 23 away goals in Ligue 1 this season, surpassing the 21 they scored on the road throughout all of last season. With the victory over ASSE, OM have earned 29 points from their first 14 matches in Ligue 1 this season, their best total at this stage since the 2014-15 campaign under Marcelo Bielsa, when they had 31 points.

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