OM 1-0 Auxerre player ratings: Amine Gouiri lifts Marseille, pressure mounts on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang | OneFootball

Amine Gouiri came off the bench to hand OM a 1-0 win over Auxerre on Friday, ending a laboured night at a Vélodrome where the support was on strike in the first half. L'Équipe notes that the Algeria international is strengthening his case over Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang after another decisive cameo.

Donovan Léon kept the visitors level by tipping Greenwood’s drive wide on 48, then produced a sharp double save a minute later. Facundo Medina, on the left of OM’s back three, stayed alert and turned a dangerous cross behind on 53.

Introduced for Egan-Riley on 62, Gouiri added thrust, while Geoffrey Kondogbia’s uneven display ended on 63 when Emerson came on. The substitute linked neatly with Paixao, who grew more threatening down the left.

Gouiri broke the deadlock on 79 when Paixao’s cross, inadvertently diverted by Sinaly Diomandé, fell for him, leaving Léon with no chance. OM finally had their breakthrough in a drab contest.

A Greenwood cut-back nearly brought Gouiri a second, but Diomandé blocked his crisp strike on 85. Aubameyang, preferred up front, had few openings and laboured against Auxerre’s back three. Josué Casimir and Danny Namaso offered scant attacking threat despite diligent defensive work.

Source: L'Équipe