Marseille welcomed Sochaux at the Stade Velodrome on Sunday looking for their first win since September.
Les Phoceens ended a run of six straight defeats in all competitions last weekend with a 1-1 draw at Rennes last weekend, while Sochaux had the chance to climb off the bottom of the table with a win.
In an end-to-end clash, Marseille ended their poor run of form and picked up a late victory.
Read how the match unfolded in our live commentary below.
Good afternoon and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage of Ligue 1 action where Marseille host Sochaux at the Stade Velodrome.
This game marks the second of three games from the French top division today, with Nantes earning a 3-0 victory at Bordeaux earlier on. We've got Saint-Etienne vs. Lyon to come later on as well.
But our attention for now is at the Stade Velodrome in what is a big game for these two sides. Marseille are desperate to try to keep pace with the league's high-flyers, while Sochaux just want to get off the bottom of the table.
However, Marseille haven't won a match since the end of September and have one of the worst home records in the division. Manager Elie Baup is hoping that his side are beginning to turn the corner having ended a run of six straight defeats with a decent 1-1 draw at Rennes last weekend.
Meanwhile, Sochaux have had an awful campaign so far, and sit bottom of Ligue 1 ahead of this match. They have already had a change of manager this season, with Herve Renard replacing Eric Hely. Sochaux are also without a win in Ligue 1 since September, although they did manage to get the better of Montpellier HSC in the Coupe de la Ligue.
Interestingly enough, the last time both these sides were triumphant in Ligue 1 came on the same day - September 28. A win for Marseille today would take them up to fifth, while Sochaux can jump two places to 18th and would be just a point from safety.
Right, let's bring you the team news.
MARSEILLE XI: Mandanda, Abdallah, Diawara, Mendy, Nkoulou, Cheyrou, Payet, Romao, Thauvin, Valbuena, J. Ayew
Elie Baup makes two changes to the team that lost to Napoli in the Champions League during the week.
Jeremy Morel and Andre Ayew drop out of the team, while Benjamin Mendy and Dimitri Payet come into the starting lineup. Jordan Ayew keeps his place in attack.
Interestingly, given their injuries, Baup has only named six players on the bench out of a possible seven.
MARSEILLE BENCH: Samba, Mendes, Imbula, Lemina, Gignac, Khalifa
So that's the hosts, let's take a look at the away team.
SOCHAUX XI: Pouplin, Corchia, Faussurier, Peybernes, Zouma, Camara, Contout, Lopy, Prcic, Roudet, Bakambu
Herve Renard has made three changes to the Sochaux team that drew with Saint-Etienne last time out.
Julien Faussurier, Abdoul Razzagui Camara and Sebastien Roudet all come into the first XI at the expense of Vincent Nogueira and Thomas Guerbert as well as the suspended Petrus Boumal.
And here is the bench for Sochaux.
SOCHAUX BENCH: Cros, Kante, Boukari, Dias, Doubai, Nogueira, Mayuka
The teams are out at the Stade Velodrome, and kick off is imminent.
Marseille are in their usual home strip of all-white with light blue trim. Sochaux are sporting their all-navy strip.
KICKOFF! Marseille, playing from left to right, get the match underway.
Just to let you know that there was a late change to the Sochaux first XI. Emmanuel Mayuka, who is on loan from Southampton, replaces Cedric Bakambu is the starting lineup. Joachim Eickmayer is promoted to the bench.
The game is yet to settle here. Marseille's defence has seen most of the ball.
GOAL! Marseille 1-0 Sochaux (Florian Thauvin)
Great start for Marseille as Florian Thauvin gives the hosts the lead. It was lovely work from Mendy on the left, as he went down the flank before cutting back onto his right foot and dinking a ball into the box. Thauvin rises above the defender and heads the ball into the near corner.
Nearly a chance for Sochaux. Mayuka runs onto a pass down the left, before curling an inviting cross towards the far post, but none of his teammates were quick enough to the ball.
CHANCE! Sochaux have their first strike on goal as Roy Contout comes inside from the right touchline and has room to shot with his left. But the effort bobbles wide of the near post.
Corner whipped in by Marseille from the left which Thauvin meets at the near post, but he can't guide it on target.
Mayuka is played through on the left of the area and looks a good bet to score, but Diaware comes from out of nowhere and makes a brilliant sliding challenge to concede the corner. Mandanda catches as a result.
It's been a good start to the game. Both sides are getting forward, and it's pretty end to end at the moment.
Sochaux seem to be piling a lot of bodies forward considering that they're already a goal down. Jordan Ayew is quick on the break for Marseille.
Thauvin is looking lively for Marseille, he now has three goals and an assist in his last four outings. He's starting to settle following his summer move.
Marseille scream for a penalty are Valbuena goes down after a shoulder to shoulder with Faussurier, but the former made far too much of that. Correct call by the referee.
An inadvertent shot from Jordan Ayew there as a headed clearance by Sochaux hits his feet on the run and forces a save from Pouplin.
SAVE! Pouplin to the rescue for Sochaux as the defence falls asleep. Thauvin is picked out with a cross from the left to the far post, but Pouplin is able to match the effort from point-blank range. Ayew then fires a second shot wide.
Sochaux have won a free kick in a really promising position here. Just outside the box slightly to the right of centre.
Roudet is the man who takes it in the end, when it looked certain for Prcic, and he forces Renard to peel away in disgust on the touchline as he curls the shot high and wide.
Sochaux are on top at the moment, but the Marseille defence is limiting their shots on goal.
Temporary stop in play as Peybernes was down following a whack in the head from Mandanda as the two came to duel for a cross.
He is back on his feet now, and the game continues.
Penalty appeals again for Marseille as Ayew goes down under pressure from Peybernes inside the box, but again the referee waves away the protests. Good earlier play down the left again by Benjamin Mendy.
Contout tries an outrageous overhead kick from the edge of the box, but it flies wildy over.
CHANCE! He doesn't know much about it, but Roudet is gifted an effort on goal by Diawara after a cross from the left awkwardly rickashays off his knee into the path of Roudet. He snatches at the chance and hammers it into the side-netting.
Mayuka nearly gets a chance as he finds the ball in the penalty area, but Diawara quickly closes him down.
HALF TIME: Marseille 1-0 Sochaux
So that brings an end to an entertaining first half where Florian Thauvin's header separates the two sides.
Let's take a look at the half-time stats.
Match statistics:
Marseille:
Shots 7
On target 3
Possession 48%
Corners 2
Fouls 7
Sochaux:
Shots 4
On target 0
Possession 52%
Corners 2
Fouls 9
SOCHAUX CHANGE Half-time change for Sochaux, Cedric Kante is on for Faussurier.
KICKOFF! Sochaux get the second half underway, playing from left to right.
Similar start to this half as we had at the beginning of the match. Both teams on the attack with the half going straight back into a high tempo.
Still nothing in the way of chances yet in this second half, but there has been a lot of urgency. The crowd are really into this one.
Not a lot to report on, just more of the same. Kante just made a great sliding clearance as Ayew bared down on goal.
CHANCE! Jordan Ayew should make it 2-0 here but he takes far too long. Zouma makes a poor error in the first place, and Ayew skips away into the penalty area. He puts it on his stronger foot, but takes an eternity to go for the shot, and his effort is blocked and out for a corner.
GOAL! Marseille 1-1 Sochaux (Emmanuel Mayuka)
What an unbelievable equaliser from Sochaux, and it's Mayuka with it. The striker, who is on loan from Southampton, has it on the right before skipping inside past two players and thumping an effort with his left foot into the far top corner. Awesome.
MARSEILLE CHANGE Strange one this. Mathieu Valbuena is taken off, with Giannelli Imbula coming on.
SAVE! Jordan Ayew finds space on the right of the box and fires a low shot which is pushed away by Pouplin, but no Marseille player can follow up the ball.
The match is still finely poised at this stage, Sochaux are probably just edging it at the moment. Really not playing like a team that is bottom of the league at the moment.
SOCHAUX CHANGE Roudet is taken off and replaced by Nogueira.
The home fans are growing slightly impatient at the lack of attacking play from Marseille. Baup about to make a change.
MARSEILLE CHANGE Baup opts to bring a striker on in the form of Khalifa, he replaces Cheyrou.
Payet puts a spectacular curling effort into the top corner of the net. It was a shame that he was already ruled offside.
Baup about to bring another striker on for his final change as Andre-Pierre Gignac prepares himself.
MARSEILLE CHANGE It's a striker for a striker as Gignac comes on in place of Ayew.
SAVE! Marseille's defence are caught divering in the box which allows Contout to turn and power a shot towards the roof of the net, but Mandanda can stick out a hand and push it over.
PENALTY TO MARSEILLE!
GOAL! Marseille 2-1 Sochaux (Andre-Pierre Gignac)
A controversial penalty for Marseille but Gignac blasts it down the middle to restore the host's lead. Gignac's initial shot was blocked by the leg of Peybernes but then flicks off his hand. Sochaux arguably should have had a clearer penalty just before that.
YELLOW CARD Lopy goes into the book for a late tackle on Khalifa.
Khalifa is receiving treatment on the touchline which is delaying the restart. I'm not sure how serious this is though.
Into the final minute now, not sure how much added time we'll get.
We will have four minutes of added time.
Marseille are on the attack at the moment and just trying to run down the clock by keeping hold of possession.
FULL TIME: Marseille 2-1 Sochaux
Marseille get their first since September thanks to a controversial late penalty that was dispatched by Gignac. Mayuka has scored a wondergoal for Sochaux to cancel out Thauvin's opener.
Marseille up to fifth with that win then, Sochaux stay bottom.
Let's take a look at the full-time stats.
Match statistics:
Marseille:
Shots 14
On target 5
Possession 50%
Corners 4
Fouls 13
Sochaux:
Shots 8
On target 2
Possession 50%
Corners 4
Fouls 16
Well that's it from me. I'll be back at 7.30pm for coverage of Saint-Etienne vs. Lyon.
Written by
Matt Cotton
Matt Cotton
