Analysis: 'De Zerbismo' & Marseille's exploding goal-scoring record

A feel-good 5-1 win over Le Havre kicked off 2025 in ideal fashion for OM and Roberto De Zerbi, who are breaking new goal-scoring records in Ligue 1 McDonald's this season.

An energetic win over Le Havre kicked off the new year for Marseille in style at the Vélodrome on Sunday evening. Whilst Le Havre went into the game having not won any of their last four matches in Ligue 1 McDonald's, there was certainly a feeling that they would set up to disrupt Roberto De Zerbi's side. It has been the case with OM at the Vélodrome this season where Les Olympiens have struggled to break down defensively solid sides.

The likes of Reims and Auxerre came to Marseille and managed to exploit the defensive fragilities of OM. Yet in De Zerbi's mind, attacking pace and rhythm is the best form of defence. Recent wins against compact midfields such as Monaco, and Saint-Étienne in the Coupe de France have provided a new blueprint for the Italian tactician.

Following the huge win over Le Havre, Marseille have scored at least five goals three times so far this season. OM haven't been able to do that in their previous 117 games in Ligue 1 McDonald's. 

The first goal is crucial

The old cliché rings true once more. Against teams that set up to disrupt Marseille's passing patterns through midfield, having the efficiency and decisiveness in front of goal was crucial for De Zerbi's men to kick things off in the right way against Le Havre. The side from Normandy had actually begun the game bravely trying to compact the midfield areas. There was some initial promise as the HAC midfield cut out passes and threatened in the early periods of the first half on the counter-attack.

Valentin Rongier opened the scoring for the hosts with a driven effort from range - and it made a huge difference. OM then went on to dominate the game, closing down and winning the ball back with pace and energy. It's this energy out of possession that De Zerbi hailed in the post-match press conference.

"What I appreciated was the understanding of the game, we played around the ball and also had some variety with some shots from range," said De Zerbi about OM's possession play. "But I also really liked the reaction to losing the ball, we had the energy to win the ball back through the likes of Rabiot and Rongier. The pace of the match isn’t always set by players that have the ball, but also when we win it back with the pace at which we did so.”

Improving against stubborn opposition

Marseille managed to find the solutions when it mattered against Le Havre, as they went on to score via Nadir, Maupay, Wahi, and Garcia. Following the match, De Zerbi himself admitted that his side are improving against low-block outfits that aim to disrupt his side. “We’re progressing with the teams that are playing in a low block. These are difficult matches where you are playing vertically, where you need a lot of patience and quality,” said the Italian. Patience and quality is exactly what OM seemed to have on Friday evening. 

Les Olympiens now sit three points ahead of Monaco in second place in the table, as the fight for the top positions in the league table intensifies. De Zerbi's men will have to follow it up with a difficult trip to Stade Rennais next weekend.

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>>Recap: OM Start 2025 with Five-Goal Performance vs. Le Havre