Auxerre Deliver a Counter-Attacking Masterclass to Shock Marseille in Ligue 1

Auxerre finally brought an end to their 11-match winless streak in all competitions by defeating Marseille 3-0 at home in Ligue 1. This defeat has significantly hindered Marseille’s title aspirations, leaving them 10 points adrift of league leaders Paris Saint-Germain, having played one match more.

Marseille started the match on the front foot, with Mason Greenwood forcing Donovan Leon into an early save with a fierce shot from the edge of the box.

However, Auxerre found their rhythm as the first half wore on and took the lead in the 34th minute, with Gaetan Perrin cutting inside and executing a stunning shot that curled in off the underside of the crossbar to nestle into the top corner.

Theo Bair thought he had added a second just before half-time, tapping in from close range, but his effort was disallowed due to an offside in the build-up.

Roberto De Zerbi must have had a stern word with his players at the interval, as they came out with renewed vigour in the second half. Amine Gouiri found himself one-on-one but, despite evading Leon, he agonisingly missed the target, sending the ball wide of the post.

Gouiri’s frustration continued shortly after, as he thought he had scored from a close-range volley following a cross from Luis Henrique, only for the goal to once again be disallowed due to a narrow offside.

Things went from bad to worse for Marseille just after the 60-minute mark when Derek Cornelius was given a second yellow card for a reckless challenge. Hamed Junior Traore capitalised on the advantage and surged towards goal, but Geronimo Rulli managed to block the attempt effectively.

Unfortunately for Rulli, he couldn’t repeat his heroics against Lassine Sinayoko, who earned a penalty after being brought down inside the box.

Jubal Junior stepped confidently up to the spot, coolly sending the Argentine goalkeeper the wrong way and scoring in the process.

Auxerre capped off a persuasive performance with a third goal in stoppage time as Junior netted his second with a close-range header following an intricate corner routine.

This victory sees Auxerre rise four places to 10th in the league table, with coach Christophe Pélissier undoubtedly pleased to witness a clean sheet after his side had conceded a minimum of two goals in their last three league outings. It was only Marseille’s fifth league defeat of the campaign, but it could have serious implications for their title challenge, compounded by the fact that Auxerre managed to complete a league double over them for the first time since the 1987/88 season.

For a detailed analysis of the match, check out the summary here.