ST ETIENNE 2-4 MARSEILLE; IN FORMIDABLE FORM MARSEILLE BEATS ETIENNEFROM IN A COME BACK VICTORY.
Marseille registered their fifth straight win in all competitions, as they came from behind to beat Saint-Étienne 4-2 in Ligue 1 (L1) at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.
Despite controlling the opening exchanges, Marseille were stunned on ten minutes, as Saint-Étienne went ahead on ten minutes. The ball broke to Denis Bouanga, who then watched his tame shot creep through the hands of Pau Lopez, before it trickled over the line.
In order to hold onto their lead Pascal Dupraz’s side would have needed to complete just a second home clean sheet of the season. They sat back, limiting Marseille to a freekick from Payet that sailed over the bar, before Bernardoni tipped Mattéo Guendouzi’s long range strike round the post. The second time Saint-Étienne attacked, they might have doubled their lead had Bouanga’s header not been ruled out for offside, but their work was undone shortly before the break.
Marseille have failed to score in only two away league games this campaign, so it was no surprise when they drew level in first half stoppage time. Eliaquim Mangala gave away a needless penalty, which Payet converted by rolling the ball down the middle of the goal. Marseille might have then gone ahead after the break when Payet’s attempted chip was later thwarted by another impressive save from Bernardoni, and Bamba Dieng later saw his header hit the bar. But the chances told, and Marseille completed their comeback assisted by another piece of dreadful defending on the hour mark. Timothee Kolodziejczak, under no pressure in the six yard box, somehow put the rebound into the top corner of his own net after Bernardoni had made another stop.
It was a moment that saw the floodgates open, as Marseille wrapped up victory when Bamba Dieng hit the visitor’s third from the spot, before a fourth came on 73 minutes. Guendouzi broke forward and teed up Amine Harit, who slotted past a defeated Bernardoni to ensure Jorge Sampaoli’s outfit move second in L1, just three points ahead of Rennes in third. Lucas Gourna-Douath hit a consolation late on, but his stunning strike from distance could not prevent a 15th defeat of the season.
