Olympique de Marseille secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in their UEFA Europa League encounter on Thursday, with Amine Gouiri scoring the decisive goal in the 77th minute.
The French side delivered a disciplined defensive performance at the BayArena to frustrate the hosts, who dominated possession and created several opportunities but failed to find the back of the net.
Gouiri broke the deadlock with a precise right-footed strike into the top-right corner, giving Marseille a valuable away victory in the fourth round of the competition.
Despite enjoying 58 per cent possession, Leverkusen struggled to convert their territorial advantage into goals.
The German side registered 10 shots against Marseille’s eight and had more efforts on target, but the visitors’ defensive organisation proved decisive.
Marseille goalkeeper Jeffrey De Lange played a crucial role in the victory, making three saves as Leverkusen mounted pressure.
The visitors also recorded 32 clearances and 11 interceptions, limiting the hosts’ opportunities in the penalty area.
Nayef Aguerd was particularly impressive at the heart of Marseille’s defence, earning the highest player rating of 7.6.
The Moroccan defender completed 68 of his 71 passes, made five clearances, won two tackles and produced a crucial block to help preserve the advantage.
Leverkusen continued to push for an equaliser after Gouiri’s goal, with their attacking pressure reflected in six corner kicks compared to Marseille’s two.
However, the visitors remained compact and successfully protected their lead through the closing stages.
The victory was a testament to Marseille’s defensive resilience, as they capitalised on their decisive opportunity to claim all three points away from home.
