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1st Team

OM - Nice (2-1) | Payet earns OM vital win

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OM.net
On Sunday 6 May 2018 at 10:05

Olympique de Marseille continued the fine run of form in recent weeks with a come from behind 2-1 victory over OGC Nice at Orange Vélodrome.

After a gruelling, yet hugely satisfying week where OM qualified for the UEFA Europa League final after playing 120 minutes against Salzburg, tonight’s fixture just three days later may have taken its toll on weary legs.

And it showed in the first five minutes as OM fell behind early on. Mario Balotelli picked up a pass and darted past five OM players to smash the ball past the returning Steve Mandanda to give Nice the lead.

OM hit back less than ten minutes later, as Dimitri Payet’s fine dribble found Valere Germain who poked home for his first league goal in over five weeks.

Nice however looked by far the fresher team and chances for Alassane Plea and Jean Michel Seri amounted to nothing.

Payet meanwhile, was having a stormer. The captain created several chances throughout the game and was finally rewarded for his efforts well into the second half.

The introduction of Clinton Njie added pace to a flagging OM side, and the Cameroonian made an instant impact, holding off Dante and picking up Payet with a superb ball, the captain only needing to take three touches to fire into an empty net.

OM picked up the three points, so vital as it turned out after Monaco and Lyon both won earlier. The Champions League remains a viable goal through the league, with the Europa League final now just ten days away.