Gouiri’s Hat-Trick Propels Marseille to Dominant Victory Over Brest, Ascending to Second Place

In a commanding performance, Olympique de Marseille triumphed 4-1 over mid-table Stade Brestois 29, with Amine Gouiri netting a sensational hat-trick to secure their position in second place in Ligue 1. However, Roberto De Zerbi’s side has now extended their streak to seven consecutive games without a clean sheet.

The match started with Brest seizing an early opportunity to score; just one minute in, Mathias Pereira Lage’s flicked header set up Abdallah Sima, who charged towards goal, but his angled effort was expertly saved by Geronimo Rulli.

Marseille swiftly found their rhythm, and it took only eight minutes for them to find the net. Luiz Henrique delivered a brilliant cross-field pass to Gouiri, who composed himself before firing a powerful shot into the far corner past Gregoire Coudert.

In the first half, L’OM appeared in control of the match, yet they failed to convert their dominance into further goals. They were made to pay for this as Kenny Lala’s cross deflected off Adrien Rabiot and unexpectedly led to a corner.

The subsequent corner taken by Pereira Lage saw visiting captain Jeremy Chardonnet head the ball against the crossbar. Ludovic Ajorque attempted to follow up but was denied by Rulli, only for Sima to slot in the loose ball and level the score.

The crowd at Stade Velodrome erupted again in the 37th minute. After a clever free-kick routine involving Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rabiot, the ball made its way to Mason Greenwood, who unleashed a thunderous shot from 25 yards that took a significant deflection off Chardonnet before hitting the back of the net.

As the first half drew to a close, things took a turn for the better for Marseille, with Greenwood turning into a supplier. He floated a cross into Gouiri’s path, who brilliantly controlled the ball before executing an exquisite overhead kick to send his team into half-time with a decisive lead.

The second half started with a more measured tempo, but Marseille sealed the victory on the 63rd minute; Gouiri broke the offside trap to finish a lovely through-ball from Rabiot, completing his hat-trick—a goal that was validated by VAR after the initial offside call was overturned.

Following his outstanding performance, Gouiri left the pitch to a standing ovation, making way for Jonathan Rowe. Despite some defensive lapses, De Zerbi’s men cruised to victory, now sitting two points clear of Lille, who occupy third position.

Looking ahead, Lille are set to be Marseille’s next opponents next Sunday as both teams vie for a top-three finish in a bid to secure automatic qualification for the UEFA Champions League next season. Meanwhile, Brest will be aiming for redemption as they host already-relegated Montpellier earlier that same day, hoping to avoid back-to-back home defeats in Ligue 1 for the first time in over two years.