Reims secured a surprise 3-1 win over Marseille at the Stade Auguste-Delaune yesterday, in a Ligue 1 match that saw the hosts dominate from start to finish. The victory marked a significant upset, as Marseille had been unbeaten in their previous five matches.
Reims took the lead through a stunning strike from Marshall Munetsi in the 13th minute, with the Zimbabwean midfielder unleashing a powerful shot from outside the box that left Marseille goalkeeper, Pau López, with no chance.
The hosts doubled their advantage in the 34th minute, courtesy of a well-taken penalty from Folarin Balogun.
Marseille struggled to create clear-cut chances throughout the match, but they managed to grab a consolation goal through Cengiz Ãœnder in the 62nd minute. However, Reims sealed the win with a third goal in the 81st minute, scored by Emmanuel Agbadou.
The victory takes Reims to 10th place in the Ligue 1 standings, while Marseille drop to third place, five points behind leaders PSG.
Reims manager, Will Still, praised his team’s performance, saying, “We were excellent today, and we deserved the three points. We worked hard to nullify Marseille’s attacking threat, and our goals were a result of some great team play.”
Marseille manager, Igor Tudor, was left to rue his team’s missed opportunities, saying, “We didn’t take our chances, and we were punished for it. We’ll need to regroup and focus on our next match.” The defeat marks a significant setback for Marseille’s title aspirations, and they will need to bounce back quickly to stay in contention.