Marseille beat Angers to keep Champions League hopes alive
Possessing a wretched record of one point from their previous 12 away matches, it was somewhat of a surprise to see Angers take the lead midway through the first half.
Breaking in behind the Marseille backline, Abdallah Sima finished off an emphatic counter-attacking move for the visitors, netting high into the goal, much to the disbelief of a silenced Stade Velodrome.
However, with relegation to the second tier already confirmed, a struggling Angers side failed to see the half out with their advantage intact.
Flicking home with a delicate finish, Alexis Sanchez continued his impressive season for Marseille by netting the equaliser, while simultaneously calming the growing worries of the home crowd.
This was a sucker blow for Alexandre Dujeux’s side, who had been on the brink of a much-needed morale-boosting half-time scoreline.
Having dragged themselves back into the match just before the break, despite having been below par throughout the first period, there was a sense of inevitability around Marseille taking the lead.
Talisman Dimitri Payet netted the home side’s second of the evening, with the ex-West Ham United man latching on to a bouncing ball inside the penalty area to sweep home a tidy right-footed finish inside the penalty area.
Now in control, Marseille were handed the chance - quite literally - to put the game to bed with a penalty 15 minutes from time.
Goalscorer Sima was adjudged to be the guilty party, with a stray arm blocking Leonardo Balerdi’s goal-bound shot, leaving referee Benoit Millot little choice but to point to the spot.
Strolling up to the 12-yard mark with confidence, Jordan Veretout converted with ease to wrap up the three points for the Champions League-chasing outfit.
That’s now one win from their last 27 games for Angers, whose campaign continues to finish with a whimper.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Jordan Veretout (Marseille)
