Victory over AJ Auxerre took Olympique de Marseille to within five points of Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain, and post-match, Jonathan Clauss (30) said the team have the title in mind.
Les Phocéens had to rely on two late goals from Cenzig Ünder and Alexis Sánchez to overturn a one-goal deficit against Auxerre (2-1) on Sunday evening. The result means that Marseille are only five points away from PSG, who slumped to a 3-1 defeat at home to FC Lorient.
For the first time during the QSI era, PSG lost a Ligue 1 game at the Parc des Princes while conceding at least three goals. Les Parisiens still look to be stuttering towards the title, despite nine defeats in all competitions in 2023. The calendar is kind to the reigning Ligue 1 champions. They next face Troyes and Ajaccio, both of whom are destined for the drop, before facing relegation-threatened Auxerre, a lowly Strasbourg side, and midtable Clermont Foot on the final day of the season.
The title isn’t in Marseille’s hands, but that doesn’t stop Clauss from thinking about topping the table come the end of the season. “The title? We’re still hoping for it, but it depends on us, and on others. So we’re going to concentrate on ourselves before looking at others,” said Clauss in a post-match interview, transcribed by L’Équipe.
Marseille next face third-placed RC Lens, who could return to within one point of Les Phocéens should they beat Coupe de France champions FC Toulouse on Tuesday.
GFFN | Luke Entwistle
