Ligue 1: a president and three points for OM

In the final moments, relief finally came as OM logically won 3-1 against Metz on Friday, an important victory for their Champions League qualification hopes, coinciding with the day their new president Stéphane Richard was introduced.

There was no immediate Stéphane Richard effect, but a poor performance would not have been ideal following his morning presentation as the future president starting on July 2. The former Orange CEO reiterated what Marseille already knows: qualifying for the Champions League is crucial for a club facing financial losses and the competition will be fierce.

Despite Marseille’s vulnerability, the match on Friday was far from easy, especially against the bottom team in the league. After numerous missed opportunities, Habib Beye’s men finally sealed a 3-1 victory with a goal from Hamed Traoré (90+2) in added time.

The win was particularly significant as direct rival Monaco had suffered a defeat against Paris FC earlier. With other weekend games pending, OM now climbs back to 3rd place ahead of Lille (4th) and enjoys a three-point lead over the Principality team (5th).

Following two consecutive defeats, this rebound was almost mandatory, especially in front of unwavering supporters who directed their discontent towards the club leadership through banners criticizing the new logo introduced that week.

Boosted by this support, OM quickly took the lead with a goal from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (1-0, 13th) following a counterattack led by Amine Gouiri and Mason Greenwood, taking advantage of Metz’s weaknesses.

Despite several missed chances, the gap was not widened by halftime, although Marseille had ample opportunities to score. Aubameyang, Gouiri, and Greenwood all posed threats, with every mistake from the clumsy Metz players turning into an opportunity for OM.

In the second half, Paixao extended Marseille’s lead by two goals (2-0, 48th) following Greenwood’s brilliant assist, only for Metz to quickly respond through Giorgi Tsitaishvili (2-1, 49th) due to passive defending.

Marseille continued to dominate but failed to secure the victory, leaving room for doubt about their ability to capitalize on their chances. However, in the end, Traoré sealed the deal after a good play by Gouiri.

These three points are a confidence booster, but according to Beye, his players, Stéphane Richard, and the rest, there is still much work to be done.