Match Reports
Gouiri hat trick sees Marseille regain second place
Capping off a Ligue 1 McDonald's matchday in which each of the rest of the six teams behind Paris Saint-Germain had won, the pressure was squarely on Olympique de Marseille to pick up a win over Stade Brestois to keep pace in the race for the Champions League, and Roberto de Zerbi's side responded brilliantly, notching a 4-1 home win.
Gouiri shows his mettle
Stade Brestois have certainly shown their character this season, but on a night they were without the suspended goalkeeper Marco Bizot, towards the end of a long season, their exhaustion was clearly manifest at the Vélodrôme. Marseille, who have been training in Rome under the direction of de Zerbi as a way to eliminate distractions, also gladly welcomed back Leonardo Balerdi, the Argentine having spent a month on the sidelines with a knee injury. With his captain back, de Zerbi set his side out in a 4-2-3-1, with Gouiri leading the line.
His tactics were matches by his opposite number, Éric Roy, and the match was played a lightning pace from the off. Marseille struck first, with Luis Henrique playing a beautiful cross-field ball to the late-arriving Gouiri, who made time for a shot before beating Grégoire Coudert in the Brest goal. Fifteen minutes later, Brest would draw level, though. Brendan Chardonnet's powerful header from a corner caromed off the bar, and Marseille were unable to clear, leaving an opportunistic Abdallah Sima to slot home. Undeterred, Marseille would retake the lead ten minutes later as Adrien Rabiot (two assists) picked out Mason Greenwood at the edge of the area, the winger scoring his nineteenth Ligue 1 goal of the season by finding the top corner with a deflected effort.
Hat-trick hero Gouiri 🇩🇿✨ pic.twitter.com/pbHLTJXbOd
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) April 27, 2025
trickier ties to come but well-earned confidence
Just as l'OM looked ready to take that 2-1 lead into the break, Gouiri saw Greenwood's fine strike and and raised it, doubling the lead with an outrageous bicycle kick. Unmarked just past the penalty spot, he took down a chipped ball from Greenwood, turned, and lashed the ball into the net to make it 3-1. Marseille were cruising, and just past the hour Rabiot turned provider again, playing a slick through ball to Gouiri on the counter for the winter signing to complete his hat trick.
The goal brought Gouiri's return since joining Marseille to seven, a figure bettered only by Greenwood among his teammates, and sealed the match, boosting the hosts two points clear of LOSC Lille in third. The two sides will face off next week, and a visit from Gouiri's former side, Stade Rennais, also could be dangerous, but by rounding into form at a crucial juncture, Marseille now look to have the upper hand on a top-four finish.
The stat: 66
Marseille now have 66 goals, their best return after 31 matches since the 1989/90 season.
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