Marseille End Five-Match Losing Streak With Troyes Win

Olympique de Marseille finally stopped the bleeding on Sunday, beating Troyes 2-0 at the Stade de l'Aube to end a miserable run of five successive defeats in all competitions and climb out of the Ligue 1 relegation zone.

Amine Harit, back at the club after a loan spell in Turkey, broke the deadlock five minutes after half-time with a close-range finish from Emerson Palmieri's cross, before substitute Himad Abdelli sealed the points with a penalty deep into stoppage time — his first goal for the club.

The victory was only Marseille's second in Ligue 1 this season, but it could hardly have come at a better time. Bruno Genesio's side began the weekend in the drop zone and were flirting with matching their worst losing streak of the last 40 years.

Harit's redemption night

Harit's opener was a moment of real quality amid a cagey first half in which Marseille enjoyed the lion's share of possession but struggled to penetrate a compact Troyes block.

The Moroccan playmaker, who returned to Marseille after spending last season on loan in Turkey, ghosted in unmarked to steer Emerson's delivery home in the 50th minute — a goal that visibly lifted the weight off the visitors' shoulders.

Marseille had to survive a late scare before Abdelli's 97th-minute penalty, won by Faris Moumbagna, killed off the contest. Troyes' Renaud Ripart had crashed a stoppage-time volley against the post moments earlier, and the promoted hosts were left to rue their luck.

Crisis club breathes again

Per Reuters, Marseille's season has been undermined by financial problems that left the club unable to strengthen its squad, and Sunday's task was made harder still by absences: Danish midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg was injured during the international break, while captain Timothy Weah was suspended after being sent off against Paris Saint-Germain last month.

Genesio had stressed before kick-off that halting the downward spiral was vital ahead of a demanding run of eight matches in 28 days. His side delivered — and climbed to 13th in the table with the result.

Troyes, meanwhile, slipped into the bottom two after a fourth successive league defeat, a worrying turn for a side that had hoped to establish itself after promotion.

Ligue 1 round-up

Elsewhere on Sunday, Rennes thrashed Auxerre 4-1 to move third, one point behind leaders Monaco. Newly capped France international Esteban Lepaul volleyed them ahead in the 15th minute — the seventh player in Ligue 1 history to score in each of his first four appearances — before Cameron Archer levelled. Adrien Thomasson's header restored the lead in the 53rd minute and substitute Boulaye Dia netted twice in stoppage time, taking Rennes' tally to 12 goals in six games, the joint-most in the division.

Nice secured a second consecutive league win, coming from behind to beat Strasbourg 2-1. Dario Essugo put the visitors ahead before a Pape Demba Diop own goal and a strike from fullback Jonathan Clauss completed the turnaround.

Beyond the Final Whistle: Marseille's 2-0 win at Troyes won't fix their finances or their squad depth, but it ends a run that was threatening to swallow their season. Whether it becomes the start of a real recovery will be decided in the weeks ahead.

Can Marseille build on this and climb the Ligue 1 table, or was it just a brief reprieve? Have your say in the comments.