After three matches without victory, OM got back into winning ways on Saturday. A win that takes them up to second spot 3 points behind Lyon. A heart-warming result for the club and its' supporters on the day after the conviction of Santos.

OM needed this victory. First of all to get themselves moving in the League again, but also to bring a little joy to a club and a set of supporters affected by the conviction of Santos. The evening was marked by homages and messages for the OM supporter. But, only a victory would be able to cheer up the crowd, just th espace of a moment which saw a mixture of relief and delight. Before their mobilisation kicked back in with force, but also with a sense of responsibility that had been demanded by the OM president before the match (read his declaration).
The joy was, however, cut short by the news of the injury to Mamadou Niang, out until the winter break.

Thankfully, his partners finished the game with the score the same as the moment he left the field. A score that the Senegalese international had contributed greatly to with his penalty at the end of the first half after a foul by Rool on Valbuena (2-0).
This was OM’s second goal, but they could have had more if you take into account the number of chances they created, starting with an effort from Zenden right at the start of the match that crashed into the crossbar.
The first goal came in quite a lucky manner. On one hand as it followed two great chances for Nice, to which Mandanda was more than a match. On the other as it was not a Marseille but a Nice player that pushed the ball home. From an inswinging free-kick by Ziani, the Nice keeper was left with no chance after the ball was deflected by Echouafni (14e).
In heading back to the dressing room with a two goal advantage, had OM done the essential? Nothing was sure, as the memories of the matches against Lorient and PSG are still fresh in the collective mind.
And unfortunately, by coming out after the break in a determined manner, Nice showed that the second half was going to be very complicated.
Especially as Habib Bamogo fired into the top corner of Steve Mandanda’s goal from outside the box, after only three minutes (2-1, 48’).
So, the match was far from over, and the crowd at the Vélodrome was more than aware of this. At that moment OM needed to start attacking and finishing. This was done, in part. They managed to attack, but Ospina and his post kept the difference in the score very close. Twice, Mamadou Niang fired in efforts. First of all he hit the upright and then, just before he was taken off, he saw the Nice keeper save his close range effort.
It was then the turn of Ben Arfa to have the chance of putting away the third goal. The midfielder, with his speed and vivacity, caused havoc in the Nice defence which could have seen two more penalties awarded. But the referee whistled on neither occasion.
Without having been able to add to their lead, OM remained under the menace of a Nice equaliser, right up to the final whistle. Like when Cana destabilised Mouloungui, who was one on one with the keepr, in time to see Mandanda save with his foot. Ben Saada then crashed a shot into the crossbar in stoppage time, seeing it drop just in front of the goal line. A few weeks ago, when luck seemed not to be on OM’s side, maybe the ball would have bounched just the other side of the line.
Happily enough, Erik Gerets’s men had a good wind behind them on Saturday night. Wind, which will bring them to two high level matches, Atlético on Tuesday and Lyon on Sunday.