ISTRES 3-1 OM : BACK IN THE SADDLE
02/07/08 - Istres 3-1 OM
In a game where the idea was to get back into a certain rhythm, and with a lot off changes to the team during the game, OM lost against Istres in the first of their pre-season friendlies.
2-0 : Arbaud (8th)
2-1 : Cissé (56th)
3-1 : Achemi (58th)
«Just another training session » said Eric Gerets at the start of the week. That’s the impression that came out of OM’s first friendly match of pre-season against Istres. The coach gave a lot of time out on the field to OM’s players who went down, but who put in a lot of physical work and started working on their automatisms. A different OM side from one half to the other, just so that the players could be rested after their first week of training
If Marseille were caught cold by Istres, scoring two goals in the first ten minutes (Feindouno (6e), Arbaud (8e)), the very young side put out in the first half managed to get some game time under their belts. And some chances. The shot from Ayew (15th), the header by Civelli (17th) or the crashing volley from Zubar (28th) showed good intentions as the first half went on. In oreder to shore up his defence, Eric Gerets brought on the recent under 16’s French champion, Senah Mango, for his first appearance with the pros.
At half time, the entry to the game of the usual starting line-up gave a bit more bite to the OM side, with the début of Vitorino Hilton in the famous white shirt. The Brazilian put in a good show in the half that he played, showing leadership qualities.
Logically, OM pulled a goal back thanks to Cissé (56th), who was played in perfectly at the back post by Niang. A state of affairs which did not last very long as Achemi gave Istres their lead back just afterwards (58th). Sitting more behind the ball all throughout the second half, OM had another good chance through Niang, whose shot flew high into the air after a perfect pass from Grandin (77th). The last interesting moment of the game. During the game, Eric Gerets was in the stands alongside the new recruit Hatem Ben Arfa, getting ready for the upcoming real matches.
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