PARIS: Mason Greenwood made a spectacular debut for Olympique de Marseille, scoring twice in their 5-1 victory over Brest in Ligue 1 on Saturday. Lille also secured a win, despite a serious head injury to Angel Gomes.
Greenwood, a former Manchester United forward, opened the scoring within three minutes and added another goal from the penalty spot on the half-hour mark after Luis Henrique had given Marseille a 2-0 lead. Henrique scored again after Mahdi Camara had pulled one back for Brest, making it 3-1 before halftime. Greenwood was involved in both of Henrique’s goals and earned a second penalty when fouled by Jordan Amavi. Elye Wahi, another new signing, converted the penalty to complete a dominant performance by Marseille under Roberto De Zerbi.
Greenwood was one of five new arrivals for Marseille, alongside Argentine goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli, Canadian defender Derek Cornelius, Danish midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, and Wahi, who joined from RC Lens on Tuesday. Rulli also had an impressive debut, saving an early penalty from Romain Del Castillo following his move from Ajax.
De Zerbi, who took over Marseille in June after a turbulent season at the Velodrome, was pleased with the result and the team’s attitude. “I’m very happy with everything. I’m very pleased with the result and the attitude of the team,” De Zerbi said. “I don’t know how good we are yet or where we’ll finish, but people should know this is a hardworking group, which is important.”
Brest, who finished third last season, struggled with the departure of key players and a number of injuries and suspensions, leading to a difficult start for the Champions League newcomers. Brest coach Eric Roy acknowledged the need for adjustments: “We’re certainly going to have to rethink things if we want to get a good result at Lens. It’s important to see how this team reacts.”
In other action, Lille overcame a long stoppage due to Gomes’ injury to beat Reims 2-0. Gomes was knocked unconscious after a head collision with Reims midfielder Amadou Kone, who was subsequently sent off. Gomes was stretchered off and taken to the hospital. “Angel Gomes is doing pretty well, but we’ll have to see how he progresses overnight before confirming a full recovery,” said Lille’s president Olivier Letang.
Lille took the lead with Bafode Diakite’s goal late in the first half, and Jonathan David sealed the win late in the game. Lille will face Slavia Prague in the Champions League play-offs. In another match, AS Monaco, last season’s runners-up, defeated promoted Saint-Étienne 1-0 thanks to a goal from Takumi Minamino.
