Marseille 3-1 Metz: Greenwood orchestrates De Zerbi’s blueprint

Here we go: Marseille beat Metz 3-1 on Friday night, a result that keeps Roberto De Zerbi’s side in third place and preserves their two-point cushion over Lille in the Champions League chase. The 3-4-2-1 stayed in place, with Mason Greenwood and Amine Gouiri tucked behind Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Stéphane Le Mignan answered with Metz in a 4-2-3-1 built around Habib Diallo, but the bottom club were second best for large spells.

Greenwood dictated the tempo early. His angled pass in the 13th minute sent Aubameyang through. The forward finished and Marseille had the lead they had been threatening inside a quarter of an hour. With Pierre-Emile Højbjerg and Quinten Timber recycling possession, the hosts stacked up 54 percent of the ball and 12 efforts inside the box. Only Pape Sy’s reflexes kept Metz alive before the break.

The only blemish of the opening period for Marseille was Facundo Medina’s yellow card for a foul in the 45+2nd minute. De Zerbi still went in content, but he demanded a quicker restart. He got it: three minutes into the second half Greenwood again found the decisive pass, this time for Igor Paixão to score in the 48th minute. Metz responded immediately when Giorgi Tsitaishvili converted Gauthier Hein’s assist in the 49th minute, a reminder of the fragility that cost Marseille points earlier this spring.

De Zerbi resisted panic. Aubameyang was withdrawn for Arthur Vermeeren in the 72nd minute, a move that stabilised midfield and freed Højbjerg to press higher. Metz, under pressure, lost Maxime Colin to a yellow card for a foul in the 56th minute and later sacrificed him for Fodé Ballo-Touré in the 82nd minute. Koffi Kouao’s foul and caution in the 84th minute capped a fraught evening for the visitors’ back line.

The decisive blow came from the bench. De Zerbi sent on Tochukwu Nnadi for Timber and Hamed Junior Traorè for Greenwood in the 82nd minute. Eight minutes later Gouiri slipped Traorè in and the substitute scored in the 90th minute to kill the contest. Himad Abdelli replaced Paixão in the 90+1st minute, ensuring fresh legs to see the job through. Le Mignan tried to tilt the game with Nathan Mbala in the 81st minute and Lucas Michal for Alpha Touré in the 87th minute, but Metz managed only six shots and posted an expected goals figure of 0.48.

Marseille’s xG of 3.55 told the story: the hosts created consistent, high-quality chances and finally paired control with ruthlessness. Benjamin Pavard and Leonardo Balerdi handled Diallo, keeping Gerónimo Rulli largely untested beyond two efforts on target, while Gouiri’s six key passes underlined how much width De Zerbi now extracts from his hybrid front line. Understand De Zerbi will keep the same structure through next week’s preparations, intent on consolidating third with Lille still two points back.

Le Mignan faces a survival mission. Metz stay 18th on 15 points, eight off the relegation play-off spot without momentum. Defensive discipline must tighten before their next outing or the drop will be confirmed early. For Marseille, two wins in three have reset the mood on the Vélodrome, and the race for second remains open if Lens stumble.

Statistics

• Possession: Marseille 54 percent, Metz 46 percent
• Total shots: Marseille 18, Metz 6
• Shots on target: Marseille 9, Metz 2
• Expected goals: Marseille 3.55, Metz 0.48
• Corners: Marseille 7, Metz 4
• Saves: Gerónimo Rulli 1, Pape Sy 6
• Yellow cards: Facundo Medina 45+2nd minute, Maxime Colin 56th minute, Koffi Kouao 84th minute

Further reading: Groupama Crossroads: Lyon's Top-Four Hopes Tested by Tactical Thorn Lorient