In a disappointing outing for Marseille, the team settled for a 1-1 draw against bottom-of-the-table Angers at the Stade Vélodrome on Friday night. This result marks another setback for Marseille, who had a promising start under manager Roberto De Zerbi, winning four out of their first five league matches. However, after last week’s defeat against Strasbourg, the team’s momentum continues to falter.
The match began with Marseille capitalizing on an early advantage when Angers’ Lilian Raolisoa received a red card in the 26th minute, leaving the visitors a man down. However, the situation quickly turned for Marseille, as forward Neal Maupay received two yellow cards in just three minutes, reducing Marseille to ten men by the half-hour mark.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, Angers played defensively, allowing Marseille to dominate possession but struggle to create significant goal-scoring opportunities. The breakthrough finally came for the home side in the 51st minute, when Jonathan Rowe scored to give Marseille a brief lead. However, the joy was short-lived as Farid El Melali equalized for Angers just three minutes later, converting a free kick in the 54th minute.
After the match, De Zerbi reflected on the team’s performance, acknowledging the need for growth. “I accepted the compliments after the good results; now we have to accept the criticism,” he stated. “We have to be aware that we’re trying to build a great Marseille, and that doesn’t happen all of a sudden.”
De Zerbi pointed out that key players like Mason Greenwood, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, and Luis Henrique did not perform at their best, yet he maintained a sense of optimism, saying, “We could have won and should have won.”
As Marseille seeks to regain their form, this draw leaves them with more questions than answers as they navigate the challenges of the season ahead.
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