It was more of the same for Marseille on Sunday evening at the Parc OL, as their frustrating evening ended in yet more dropped points against a rival for a Champions League place. Marseille picked up just two points from 18 against Lyon, Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain last season. Even with the champions operating in another financial stratosphere, it still made for grim reading, especially with the margins for those top three places having been so fine in recent seasons.
With a place in the Champions League their aim of the season, last thing Marseille needed was a chastening 4-2 defeat at Lyon in the Choc des Olympiques. Marseille had no problem running roughshod over the bulk of Ligue 1 last season but they did struggle against high-quality opposition. Things seemed to be changing this season, though.
They were at their opportunistic best when they thumped Monaco 3-2 at the Stade Louis II at the beginning of the month. Even with their southern rivals enduring an uneven start to the campaign, the same fixture last year had yielded a 6-1 defeat.
However, for all of the hand-wringing Lyon supporters had done over a perceived summer of going backwards, perhaps it is their Olympico rivals who have failed to progress. Lyon’s win at Manchester City notwithstanding, Marseille went into the game this weekend in far better form, in second place and with their fantastic array of attacking players – led by Florian Thauvin – having impressed this season.
Thauvin extended his record to six goals in six league matches, but it mattered not, as Lyon, buoyed by the effervescent Bertrand Traoré, the passing nous of Tanguy Ndombélé and a determined Nabil Fekir, made short work of Marseille’s defence in a 4-2 win that slightly flattered the visitors. Marseille would have been frustrated to have lost to 10-man Eintracht Frankfurt in midweek, but the real prize on offer this season is finishing in the top three and earning a return to the Champions League. A result away at Lyon would have been a real indication of their progress. Garcia was without his first choice centre-backs, with Rolando and Adil Rami both injured, and they were joined on the sideline by Steve Mandanda, who hasn’t featured in a month. This trio would be missed by any side but, even then, Rami in particular has hardly covered himself in glory this season, having been embarrassed twice against Monaco.
Their absence, however, has laid bare the foolishness of counting on two players of their age without trusted cover. Garcia has often turned to Luiz Gustavo to deputise in defence, as the Brazilian is capable enough in that role. Capable, however, is probably the limit of his aptitude for playing as a centre-back, especially when compared to how influential he was in central midfield last season. Playing Gustavo deeper makes the midfield – already in a position of flux following Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa’s move to Fulham – similarly vulnerable, as Kevin Strootman is a long way off his pre-injury best and Morgan Sanson struggled with the physicality of Pape Cheikh Diop and Ndombele.
The blame for this defeat must also be laid at the feet of Garcia, who chose to bring Duje Caleta-Car back into the side. The young Croatian defender was torn to shreds in a 3-1 defeat to Nimes earlier this month and he was no better here, capping a poor evening with a rash challenge on Traore that earned him a straight red card.
For his side’s biggest match of the year, Garcia deployed, in central defence, a defensive midfielder and a youngster whose confidence was fragile. With Gregory Sertic and Boubacar Kamara (to say nothing of Aymen Abdennour) also available, Garcia’s bizarre decision well and truly backfired, even as Lyon failed to sparkle themselves.
Lyon’s Nabil Fekir (left) clashes with Marseille’s Duje Caleta-Car during the Ligue 1 match.
