Beye’s OM bow lays bare central defensive woes and new problems to solve | OneFootball

On Habib Beye’s first night in charge, Marseille fell 2-0 at Brest as Ludovic Ajorque struck twice and the Pavard-Aguerd axis unravelled.

Ajorque scored on 10 and 29 minutes, the second after slipping between Nayef Aguerd and Benjamin Pavard. “When we conceded those two goals, we broke our game,” said Pierre-Emile Höjbjerg. “We do not need to talk much, we must work and take responsibility. What we are doing is not good enough,” he added, speaking to Ligue 1+.

At full time Pavard stood motionless near the centre circle, rain-soaked, with Aguerd a few metres ahead. They edged towards the away end before Aguerd headed inside and Pavard lingered, a picture of emptiness.

Beye kept faith with Pavard and Aguerd after the 2-2 with Strasbourg. They had also started the 3-0 win at Brest on 8 November in a back four, yet here their marking wavered under Ajorque’s aerial and running threat.

Pavard won three of 11 duels, passive on the first goal then beaten for the second. Aguerd took six of 11 and deflected the opener beyond Geronimo Rulli. Suspended captain Leonardo Balerdi watched from the stands, and Facundo Medina stayed unused. Beye framed it as a team issue and left open a reshuffle, noting some are used to other systems that could add verticality.

Source: L'Équipe