PLAYER RATINGS | Marseille 3-1 Rennes – OM end chaotic season with Europa League qualification at Rennes’ expense | OneFootball

Marseille cap off their chaotic season with a 3-0 win over Stade Rennais, ending with qualification for UEFA Europa League thanks to goals from Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, Amine Gouiri, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. THE MATCH 

A “match of destiny” were the words used by Habib Beye in the build-up to his return against his former side, and it would ironically see Marseille qualify directly for the group stage of the UEFA Europa League, nine months after the match he won with Rennes on opening day against Roberto De Zerbi’s Marseille which kicked off the turbulent season for Les Phocéens.Les Marseillais were quick out the blocks as Paixao had a quickfire chance at goal before Pierre-Emile Højbjerg fired the Vélodrome back into life with a superbly taken low finish underneath Silistre (03’) before Les Rennais could even get onto the ball. It switched the occasion immediately, putting OM above Rennes in fifth place and into the Europa League group stage spot. 

It was the hosts who started the game on the front foot, and they would be rewarded with a second fortuitous goal after a huge blunder from Rennes keeper Silistrie who cleared the ball into Amine Gouiri’s outstretched leg, which rebounded into the back of the net to double OM’s lead (10’). The away side seemed to wake up, as Quentin Merlin stood up a cross to the back post and Ligue 1 top scorer Lepaul headed over the bar. Whilst the first half saw a brief lul as Rennes got back into shape, the away side rattled the cross-bar through Al-Tamari’s strike from long-range. Space started to open up at the end of the first period, and Rennes looked to get on the front foot. 

Ludovic Blas was played in-behind and the Frenchman managed to knock the ball past Rulli and had the open goal right in front of him. He would opt to lay off the ball to Aït Boudlal, but the Moroccan’s effort was cleared off the line by Facundo Medina. Mason Greenwood then did well to win the ball high up the pitch off Merlin, before twisting inside and out the Rennais defence and his final shot dragging just wide. Contrarily to their entry onto the pitch, the Marseille XI would be applauded as the whistle for half-time blew.Franck Haise made the first change at half-time, bringing off Szymanski for another attacker in Breel Embolo. Just as the second half got underway, Aubameyang had a huge chance but Silistrie would be second to his low driven strike. Embolo then passed up a glorious chance in front of goal, skying his strike well over the cross bar from just inside the six-yard box. But then the relief would come for the hosts, as Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang managed to poke home after receiving the ball inside the box to put the result beyond reasonable doubt (55’). Esteban Lepaul would at least put some pressure on in the final stages, when he rose highest and headed past Rulli following Nordin’s cross.

La Marseillaise rang around the Vélodrome in the latter stages, as OM fans saw consolation in their European qualification after a season which many have felt has lasted an eternity. Rennes were punished for their mistakes, as Franck Haise’s side would have to settle for the Europa Conference league for next season.

OLYMPIQUE DE MARSEILLE PLAYER RATINGS 

Geronimo Rulli – 5

Leonardo Balerdi – 5Facundo Medina – 5Timothy Weah – 6Emerson Palmieri – 5Tochukwu Nnadi – 5

Pierre-Emile Højbjerg – 6

Scored the opening goal for Les Marseillais, with a powerful low finish just inside the box with just minutes on the clock. He played in a midfield duo with Nnadi and it seemingly worked well in the opening periods with the Dane placed higher up the pitch when OM were on the offensive. Amine Gouiri – 6Mason Greenwood – 6

The Englishman might be playing his last match for Marseille, with his future up in the air over the summer, like a lot of the OM XI starting tonight. Yet he started brightly, with his dribbling ability and some attacking runsIgor Paixao – 5Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – 5The Gabon international initially struggled in his return to the side following the extinguisher incident which saw him left out against Le Havre last weekend. He would find the back of the net with the all-important third goal, keeping his composure on the turn and deftly finishing into the back of the net.STADE RENNAIS PLAYER RATINGSMathys Silistrie – 3

The Frenchman deputised for Brice Samba and his mistakes would prove costly in the opening minutes. Højbjerg’s finish went underneath him for the opener, before his bad luck continued with an unforgiving clearance that rebounded off Amine Gouiri to put OM in a two goal lead inside ten minutes. His second half performance was improved, but the damage had already been done in the opening minutesMohamadou Nagida – 5Anthony Rouault – 3

Along with Aït Boudlal the former Toulouse man had a horrific time in defence, leaving his keeper exposed and looking out of position for many of Marseille’s attacks.Quentin Merlin – 4Abdelhamid Aït Boudlal – 4Ludovic Blas – 5Sebastian Szymanski – 4Valentin Rongier – 4Mahdi Camara – 4Esteban Lepaul – 5The Ligue 1 top scorer left little to be desired after only a handful of chances that he would have buried previously this season. Added to his lack of efficiency in front of goal was the fact that he received very little in terms of service, even when Rennes looked like they were on top during periods of the first half. But he would pounce back into action, when he rose high and headed past Rulli in the 84th minute to put at least a little pressure back on in the final minutes.

Musa Al-Taamari – 4GFFN | George Boxall – reporting from Stade Vélodrome, Marseille.