PLAYER RATINGS | Marseille 4-1 Brest: Amine Gouiri hat-trick sees OM reclaim second spot in crucial win | OneFootball

Ligue 1 McDonald’s Matchday 31, 27/04/2025Olympique de Marseille moved two points ahead of Lille thanks to another explosive attacking display at the Vélodrome to blow apart an initially tricky Brest side. Amine Gouiri’s hattrick included a stunning overhead kick.

THE MATCH

A crucial test awaited Les Olympiens after their return from a Roman training camp to find some solace ahead of a crunch run-in for Champions League football. Roberto De Zerbi’s men were helped by Monaco’s draw to Le Havre on Saturday, but LOSC’s win over Angers saw OM drop to fourth ahead of the game with an opportunity to retake second from the Northern side. Pre-match formalities saw OM’s South Winners ultra group pay homage to the late pope with a tifo, before 1993 OM legend Basile Boli took the ceremonial kick-off of a match that was dedicated to the club’s partnership with the Ivory Coast.

But it was straight to on-pitch action as Brest saw an immediate chance to get on the scoresheet when Brighton loanee Sima burst through the OM back-line and had to be stopped by a fine rush from Geronimo Rulli in the opening minute. Les Pirates started the better of the two sides, but then Les Olympiens showed a rare streak of clinical efficiency when Amine Gouri brought down a searching effort floated by Luis Henrique in the box and provided a low finish past Coudert. Early relief, as De Zerbi fist-pumped the Vélodrome’s main stand.

But it wouldn’t last long until OM’s defensive deficiencies were once again exposed. Brest saw out the first minutes of the half well and caused trouble with Ludovic Ajorque’s physical presence in the box. Brenden Chardonnet’s power header rattled Rulli’s cross bar, and no OM defender could get to Brighton loanee Abdallah Sima who buried the follow-up on the rebound to put Les Pirates back on level terms.

It was a setback for Les Olympiens, but it didn’t stop De Zerbi’s men from going in front again through Mason Greenwood. The Englishman had a typical quiet start to the match, but he received the ball from Højbjerg after a short-free kick was played quickly, and he drove to the edge of the box and unleashed a strike which was heavily deflected off Chardonnet.

Then the moment of magic came from Amine Gouiri to get his second goal of the game, with an outrageous overhead kick after a magnificent first touch to control Mason Greenwood’s delayed cross. Brest had come out for the second half with a renewed vigour, and the game would settle into a quiet period of possession for both sides. But a cutting through ball from Adrien Rabiot saw Amine Gouiri race down on goal and slot home to give OM some more comfort – confirmed by VAR after it was initially flagged for offside by the assistant referee.

OLYMPIQUE DE MARSEILLE PLAYER RATINGS

Géronimo Rulli – 6

Michael Amir Murillo – 5

Leonardo Balerdi – 6

His return to the side was a welcome one, considering OM’s defensive struggles lately. His calmness and confidence was personified by a rogue run up the right wing early in the first half. In terms of organisation, it shored up what had been a shaky back three in recent games in general play. But a collective lack of focus for Brest’s equalising goal could have been damaging if not for a very good attacking display for Marseille.

Geoffrey Kondogbia – 4

Luis Henrique – 4

Provided the searching floated assist for Amine Gouiri’s opener, but then seemed to struggle to get into the game, much in the image of his previous performances in the last month or so with OM.

Pierre-Emile Højbjerg – 5

Valentin Rongier – 5

Ulisses Garcia – 6

Mason Greenwood – 6

The Englishman once again struggled to get into the game in the early periods, but it looks as if De Zerbi is correct in his analysis that Greenwood has regained a bit of pace and intensity which had been missing for a few months. He put a ball on a plate for Amine Gouiri to strike with a stunning overhead kick for his assist, after he had grabbed his own thanks to a reasonable dose of luck. His 19th goal of the season came in the form of a heavily deflected strike off Brest defender Chardonnet, but he closes in now on Ousmane Dembélé (21 goals) in the race for the golden boot.

Adrien Rabiot – 7

Amine Gouiri – 9

Began the game in ideal fashion when he put OM ahead with a fantastic first touch to set up his low strike past Coudert in the 25th minute. Despite Marseille conceding, he was still excellent offensively and created a moment which will live long in the memory for OM fans when he scored a stunning overhead kick at a vital juncture of the game. From the touch, confidence, and to the strike itself – it was simply sublime. Just when OM were struggling in the second period, he provided the hat trick with a clinical finish underneath Coudert after being fed through by Adrien Rabiot. Perhaps he’s finally living up to De Zerbi’s ‘Higuain’ vision of Gouiri?

STADE BRESTOIS PLAYER RATINGS

Gregory Coudert – 4

Massadio Haïdara – 4

Julien Le Cardinal – 3Brendan Chardonnet – 4

Pierre Lees-Melou – 5Kenny Lala – 4

Madhi Camara – 5

Hugo Magnetti – 5

Abdallah Sima – 6

Ludovic Ajorque – 6

Mathias Pereira Lage – 4GFFN | George Boxall – reporting from the Stade Vélodrome, Marseille.