The struggles continue for Marseille as they were held to a 1-1 draw at home by winless Ligue 1 bottom club Angers on Friday. Despite an early numerical advantage, Roberto De Zerbi’s side failed to capitalise, dropping points for the second consecutive match in a disappointing outing at a partially closed Velodrome Stadium.
After a strong start to the season under new manager De Zerbi, which included four wins and a draw, Marseille’s form has faltered. Following a defeat to Strasbourg last week, Friday’s result added to their woes, frustrating fans in a stadium where two stands were closed by league order.
“I accepted the compliments when we were winning, now we have to take the criticism,” said De Zerbi after the match.
The game turned early when Angers’ Lilian Raolisoa was sent off in the 26th minute. However, Marseille’s advantage was short-lived as Neal Maupay picked up two yellow cards in quick succession, leaving both teams with ten men before half-time.
Former UEFA president Michel Platini’s recent suggestion to make football more exciting by reducing teams to ten players was inadvertently put to the test, but Friday’s encounter offered little support for the idea. Marseille struggled to create clear chances, while Angers were content to stall and disrupt the game’s flow.
Jonathan Rowe finally gave the home side the lead in the 51st minute, but the momentum was swiftly lost as Farid El Melali equalised with a well-taken free kick just three minutes later.
Reflecting on the match, De Zerbi said, “We have to be aware that we’re trying to build a great Marseille and that it doesn’t happen all of a sudden. You have to go through games like Strasbourg and tonight.” He added that key players like Mason Greenwood, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, and Luis Henrique did not have their best performances, but insisted, “We could have won and should have won.”