On Saturday, Mason Greenwood made a stunning debut for Marseille, scoring twice as Roberto De Zerbi’s revamped team secured a 5-1 victory against Brest in their opening Ligue 1 match of the season.
The former Manchester United striker struck early within three minutes and later added a goal from the penalty spot in the first half. This was after Luis Henrique had already doubled Marseille’s lead.
Henrique found the net once again following Mahdi Camara’s impressive effort to bring the score to 3-1 before half-time. Greenwood played a vital role in both of the Brazilian’s goals.
Greenwood was awarded another penalty after being fouled by Jordan Amavi, however, it was Marseille’s new signing Elye Wahi who successfully converted it.
After joining Marseille last month from Old Trafford, 22-year-old Greenwood, who had a promising start to his career at Manchester United, faced suspension in January 2022 due to allegations of attempted rape and sexual assault. The charges were later dropped by prosecutors in February 2023, following which he spent the last season at Getafe in Spain. Nevertheless, the signing of Greenwood by Marseille has faced criticism from some fans, including the city’s mayor Benoit Payan.
Greenwood was one of five fresh faces in the Marseille lineup, alongside Argentine goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli, Canadian defender Derek Cornelius, Danish midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, and Wahi, who was recently acquired from Lens.
Rulli, who was part of Argentina’s victorious 2022 World Cup and this year’s Copa America squads but did not play, also enjoyed a memorable debut, saving an early penalty from Romain Del Castillo after his recent move from Ajax.
Following a tumultuous past season at the Velodrome, former Brighton manager De Zerbi took the helm at Marseille in June, pledging significant changes after a season marred by managerial changes and failure to qualify for European competitions.
De Zerbi expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance, emphasizing their hard-working ethos, though he acknowledged uncertainty about their future performance.
Brest, who achieved their best-ever third-place finish last season, faced a challenging start to the new season with several key players departing and others missing due to various reasons. This was a worrying initiation for the Champions League debutants.
Brest coach Eric Roy admitted the need for a reassessment following the disappointing result against Marseille, highlighting the team’s need to bounce back in their upcoming match against Lens.
– Gomes sustains injury, leading to extended stoppage –
Lille overcame a concerning injury suffered by Angel Gomes to secure a 2-0 victory over Reims after a prolonged halt in the first half to attend to the injured midfielder.
Former Manchester United player Gomes lay motionless following a collision with Amadou Kone from Reims, who was subsequently sent off due to the incident. Both teams swiftly called for medical assistance, and Gomes was eventually stretchered off the field and taken to the hospital.
Bafode Diakite scored for Lille towards the end of the unusually long added time in the first half, while Jonathan David sealed the win late in the game. Lille is set to face Slavia Prague in the Champions League play-offs.
Monaco, last season’s runners-up, are scheduled to play against Saint-Etienne later on Saturday as the latter makes a comeback to the top flight after two years.
Paris Saint-Germain started their title defense with a 4-1 victory against Le Havre on Friday, marking their first game since Kylian Mbappe’s departure to Real Madrid.
PSG took an early lead through Lee Kang-in, but Gautier Lloris equalized before late goals by Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola, and a Randal Kolo Muani penalty sealed the win for the reigning French champions.
AFP