OM - Caen (2-0) | On the right track again

Olympique de Marseille easily dispatched SM Caen 2-0 on Sunday afternoon to climb on to the Ligue 1 podium, at least provisionally.

After a run of poor form over the last week or so, the onus was on Rudi Garcia’s men to perk things up with a win just before the international break.

And OM started strongly, as is customary in the home games with Dimitri Payet in particular keeping ex-OM keeper Brice Samba busy in the early stages.

OM should have had a penalty after Rami was fouled in the box, but the referee having consulted the VAR waved those claims away.

Mitroglou opened the scoring just before the break, again with the aid of VAR having headed on Florian Thauvin’s powerful left-footed strike past Samba. After a few minutes of delay, the goal was given.

Thauvin got his goal, the 7th of a great Ligue 1 season so far with his customary turn and strike which bounced low past Samba into the OM net.

Two goals is a dangerous lead, as was evident in Cyprus on Thursday. But OM did not settle here, pushing for a third which ultimately did not come. Caen did get the ball in the net, but a busy VAR kept that one off the scoresheet at the end.