Olympique de Marseille finished the season on a positive note with a 4-2 win over Stade Rennais, as Mason Greenwood finished as the Ligue 1 joint-top goalscorer.
THE MATCH
There was a more relaxed feeling at the Vélodrome on Saturday evening, with Marseille already qualified for the UEFA Champions League but still fighting to finish second spot in Ligue 1 for the 2024-2025 season. As the sun set at the Vélodrome, the two sides would get an eventful first half action underway. Ismaël Koné would come to haunt his parent club with a swerved long-range finish to open the scoring and stun his current employers.
Rennes were bold and pressed high up the pitch, but it was Koné who committed himself too much when Mason Greenwood drove into the box, getting the wrong side of the Ivoirien and giving away a penalty. The Englishman duly stepped up to convert, needing only one more goal to go level with Ousmane Dembélé in the race for the golden boot. The referee would give Greenwood the perfect opportunity when former OM player Lilian Brassier handled the ball after Leonardo Balerdi attempted an audacious overhead kick. However the former Manchester United winger’s attempt was too predictable and Brice Samba saved low down to his right side.
It was Marseille that were in the ascendancy, and Les Olympiens went in front for the first time in the game when Mason Greenwood found Adrien Rabiot with a precise pull-back, and the Frenchman’s first-time connection was spot-on as he slotted home. Just before half-time it would get better for OM, with an energetic Jonathan Rowe feeding through for Mason Greenwood to level in the race for the golden boot with a finish at the near post.
The second half was a more muted affair, but the stakes were still high with Greenwood searching for a goal which would have seen him claim the top scorer award. The introductions of Amine Harit and Amar Dedic brought some attacking impetus for Les Olympiens, but it was Rennes substitute Andrés Gomes who managed to bundle the ball home from close range to give the Bretons a chance of getting back into the affair at 3-2.
But Les Olympiens would restore their two-goal lead when Adrien Rabiot finished from close range to complete his brace – a fitting end for OM’s player of the season. There would be one last poignant moment as OM legend Steve Mandanda was given a standing ovation as he came on for Rennes in what would likely be his final minutes in Ligue 1 at the age of 40. – a geste appreciated by the Vélodrome faithful.
OLYMPIQUE DE MARSEILLE PLAYER RATINGS
Geronimo Rulli – 5
Luiz Felipe Ramos – 4
Michael Amir Murillo – 5
Quentin Merlin – 5
Pierre- Emile Højbjerg – 5
Adrien Rabiot – 7
Named as the club’s player of the season ahead of the game, Rabiot lived up to the accolades with a superb performance and a brace to match. His controlled finish was perfectly-timed in the first period, slotting in from close range for the second
Ismael Bennacer – 4
Mason Greenwood – 7
Did well to drive into the box and provoke the tackle from Koné, converted the first penalty calmly, yet the second was too telegraphed and was well-read by Brice Samba. Yet, he was still incisive and found Adrien Rabiot with a precise pull-back just before half-time. His second finish at the near post put him level with Ousmane Dembélé in the top scorer stahndings. But there will be some regrets after having more than enough chances to seal the Ligue 1 Golden Boot in the second half. After a mid-season which failed to deceive, a great start and finish to the season has seen him share the top scorer award for 2024-2025 with PSG’s Ousmane Dembélé.
Jonathan Rowe – 6
Lots of pace in the opening periods but a lack of finesse and decisiveness on his shooting and final ball. This improved as the game went on and he provided the perfect ball for Mason Greenwood to slot his second
Amine Gouiri – 5
STADE RENNAIS PLAYER RATINGS
Brice Samba – 6
Adrien Truffert – 5
Lilian Brassier – 4
Lorenz Assingon – 6
Anthony Roualt – 5
Jérémy Jacquet – 6
Azor Matusiwa – 5
Ludovic Blas – 4
Djaoui Cissé – 4
Ismael Koné – 6
