Marseille had the points in hand and the stadium breathing easily at 4-0, only for the final stretch against Le Havre to turn sharply uneasy. The visitors struck back three times late on, leaving OM to protect a 4-3 victory that was far more fragile than the scoreline had once suggested.
The result still carries weight for Marseille, who have now won three successive Ligue 1 matches and continued their climb in the table. Yet the manner of the finish left clear frustration inside the side, with Bruno Genesio unhappy with the contribution of the substitutes. One replacement was sanctioned immediately after coming on.
Himad Abdelli, one of Marseille’s leading performers and scorer of a superb goal, also spoke bluntly after the game. “The players coming on have to give everything too,” he said, a remark that prompted criticism online.
Abdelli later sought to clarify his words on X, stressing that he did not see himself as someone entitled to judge a team-mate. “Maybe I said it badly, but I know how important it is,” he wrote. “Last season, when I came on, I was poor.” The former Angers player added that he had experienced that difficult situation himself after arriving in Marseille last term.
Abdelli growing into a key role
While Marseille remain vulnerable when matches loosen, Abdelli has become increasingly important to their revival. He has earned a regular place in the starting XI, featured in all eight Ligue 1 fixtures this season and scored three goals.
OM will now look for a calmer evening when Toulouse visit on Sunday, 1 November. The Le Havre win keeps the momentum alive, but the late collapse offered a warning that three points alone will not settle the concerns around Marseille.
