Marseille’s bid for European football next season received another major blow on Saturday when struggling visitors Rennes inflicted a 1-0 defeat on Jose Anigo’s side at the Velodrome.
Abdoulaye Doucoure’s 76th minute goal from a sparkling counter attack left Marseille in sixth place, a yawning nine points off the last Champions league spot, third-placed Lille, and four points off the Europa league spot inhabited by Saint-Etienne.
Those gaps could well increase with the teams above Marseille enjoying a game in hand.
Saturday’s upset came on the back of last week’s 1-1 draw with Reims and a 1-0 loss to Nice.
It was Marseille’s sixth home loss of the season and Anigo’s out of form team have now gone four games without a win.
It promises to be a long end of season run for Marseille who were booed off their pitch by unhappy home fans.
“I’m not going to talk at length because you can’t defend the indefensible,” stormed Marseille president Vincent Labrune. “Our form at home is catastrophic.”
Anigo said: “The players haven’t done their jobs. I’m disappointed because when you wear this shirt you have to put in the work.”
Marseille midfielder Mathieu Valbuena acknowledged: “It’s our fault we are in the position where we are today.”
For Rennes this was a welcome victory, pushing them up a place to a comforting six points above the relegation zone.
Rennes’ goal scorer Doucoure commented: “We knew we could pull off a result here and I’m happy for the team. Now we have to fight till the end.”
Nantes beat Montpellier 2-1 for their first win in two months, bottom club Ajaccio edged Valenciennes 3-2, Bastia beat Reims 2-0, and the games between Bordeaux and Nice and Toulouse and Evian ended in 1-1 draws.
On Friday runaway Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain kept up the momentum on their title defence with a 1-0 win on Lorient’s artificial pitch, Thiago Motta scoring the winning goal.
Second-placed Monaco host third-placed Lille on Sunday looking to increase the gap between the teams, which sits at nine points, while Saint-Etienne host Sochaux and Lyon in fifth go to Guingamp.
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