Streetwise Marseille slip into title gear

Tom Williams

For their rivals in the French title race, the manner in which Marseille have muscled their way into position in recent weeks bears an ominous trace of deja vu.

Just as they did last season, when they ended an 18-year wait for the Ligue 1 championship, Marseille are steadily grinding out results while their opponents flounder.

The 2-1 comeback victory at Montpellier on Sunday enabled Didier Deschamps's side to close to within a point of wobbling leaders Lille, held to a 1-1 draw by Bordeaux the day before.

Third-placed Lyon, meanwhile, saw their title ambitions hit in a 1-0 defeat at Paris Saint-Germain that left them six points off the pace with seven games remaining.

Marseille's victory at Montpellier bore all the hallmarks of the club's success under Deschamps.

The visitors fell behind in the 64th minute but reacted immediately, Andre-Pierre Gignac snapping out of his first-half slumber to apply a deft lobbed finish to Benoit Cheyrou's exquisite raking pass.

The winning goal arrived eight minutes from time, Taye Taiwo dispatching an assured penalty after Abdelhamid El Kaoutari had been penalised for holding back Loic Remy.

"I won't say that we were in control of proceedings, but the most important thing was to take the points," said Deschamps with trademark pragmatism.

Coincidentally, it was at Montpellier's Stade de la Mosson that last season's title charge also began.

A 2-0 defeat on January 30 left Marseille 12 points behind defending champions Bordeaux in sixth place, but the players' reaction was a 15-game unbeaten run including seven straight wins in March and April that took them to the brink of the title.

The psychological turning point in the 2009-10 title race arrived two months later, when Marseille beat Bordeaux 3-1 in the final of the League Cup.

It was OM's first major honour since Deschamps lifted the Champions League title as captain in 1993 and Bordeaux never recovered, losing five of their next six games and ultimately finishing the season in sixth place.

Marseille will defend their League Cup crown against Montpellier next Saturday and few would bet against a victory at Stade de France galvanising OM's title assault in similar fashion.

Gritty pragmatism was the hallmark of last year's successes Rennes coach Frederic Antonetti called them "Italian-style champions" and Marseille have been forced to rely on the same attributes this term.

While plaudits have rained down on Lille for the quality of their attacking play, the Mediterranean giants have done just enough to stay in touch, despite consecutive defeats in their opening two league games and a run of five matches without a win in the run-up to Christmas.

Lucho Gonzalez, winner of last season's award for best passer after laying on 11 goals, has endured a deeply disappointing campaign, while Gignac has failed to settle since his 18-million-euro ($25.6m) switch from Toulouse.

Remy has sparkled only intermittently and with Mathieu Valbuena beset by injuries, it has fallen to the squad's lesser lights to carry the fight.

Ghana starlet Andre Ayew has been a revelation since returning from his loan spell at Arles-Avignon, while the fine form of Cheyrou last season's forgotten man has compensated for Lucho's struggles.

Goalkeeper Steve Mandanda remains one of Ligue 1's most assured shot-stoppers and Taiwo has performed with commendable diligence for a man who is widely expected to leave at the end of the campaign.

"Since I've been at OM, we've always been better in the second half of the season," said Mandanda. "When everything's on the line, the guys have the ability to be there at the key moments."

Lille will not need telling that Marseille's footsteps are growing louder by the week. PARIS, Tuesday, AFP