Marseille continue recovery with win

Marseille continue recovery with win

 

Marseille (AFP)

 

French giants Marseille beat 2012 Ligue 1 champions Montpellier 2-0 on Friday night to remain in Champions League qualification contention.

 

Goals from Florian Thauvin and Saber Khelifa gave Marseille a third straight Ligue 1 victory that kept them in fourth, just two points behind third-placed Monaco, although the Principality outfit have a game in hand.

 

It was a welcome boost for Elie Baup's team, who were beaten 2-0 by Arsenal in the Champions League on Tuesday, ahead of their trip to second-placed Lille this coming Tuesday.

 

"It's a historic match because it's Marseille's 1,000th victory in the league," said Baup.

 

"But most of all it was important to win the three points, that's three wins in a row now."

 

France under-20 star Thauvin was the catalyst for the victory, scoring for the fourth league match in a row.

 

"It's a source of pride to be playing and making a difference," said Thauvin.

 

I'm delighted to be contributing to the team.

 

We had a difficult October with the defeats (five out of five in all competitions).

 

Now we're just winning.

 

"If we keep going like this we'll climb back up the table."

 

The former Lille player pounced on a mistake by the Montpellier defence to beat goalkeeper Geoffrey Jourdren from close range after 36 minutes.

 

Despite a difficult start to life at Marseille, he was in fine form on Friday night and could even have opened the scoring earlier in the 22nd minute, only for Jourdren to come out and dive at his feet to snuff out the danger.

 

It wasn't easy for the former European champions, though, as Victor Montano came within inches of sliding home an equaliser at the back post with the goal at his mercy in the 57th minute.

 

Benjamin Mendy also had to charge back to stop Souleymane Camara shooting when one-on-one with goalkeeper Steve Mandanda.

 

Montpellier coach Jean Fernandez said his team paid for a slow start.

 

"I'm frustrated with the first half because we didn't play well," he said.

 

"We lacked the technical accuracy needed to put Marseille under pressure.

 

"We played better in the second half and did everything we could to equalise. If I want to stay positive, I look at the second half."

 

Montpellier remain 16th in the table, just five points above the relegation zone.

 

The killer second came in stoppage time as Khalifa secured Baup a victory in his 501st Ligue 1 match as a coach.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 29 Friday November 2013 The Roman)

 

 

 

News: Christmas at the old port of Marseille

News: Christmas at the old port of Marseille

 

[caption id="attachment_10327" align="alignnone" width="400"] (Photo AFP - Boris Horvat)[/caption]

 

Christmas market

 

People shop at a Christmas market at the old port of Marseille in southern France.

 

(AFP - Boris Horvat)

 

(Agence France-Presse, 27 Wednesday November 2013 The Roman)

(Translaed: R.S.F. tohiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 27 Wednesday November 2013 The Roman)

 

Record de la Méditerranée : nouveau départ de Le Cleac'h Record of the Mediterranean : Again from Le Cleac'h

Record de la Méditerranée : nouveau départ de Le Cleac'h

 

[caption id="attachment_9049" align="alignnone" width="396"] (Armel Le Cleac'h au départ du Vendée Globe le 10 samedi novembre 2012 le Roman aux Sables-d'Olonne (AFP/Archives, Damien Meyer)) (Armel Le Cleac'h the Vendée Globe on 10 Saturday November 2012 The Roman in Les Sables d'Olonne (AFP / Archives, Damien Meyer))[/caption]

 

Marseille — Armel Le Cleac'h (Banque Populaire VII), qui avait renoncé dimanche après un premier départ, s'est à nouveau élancé lundi matin peu après 5h00 à l'assaut du record en solitaire de la traversée de la Méditerranée entre Marseille et Carthage (458 milles), a annoncé son entourage.

 

Deux fois deuxième du Vendée Globe en 2009 et 2013, Le Cleac'h a coupé à 05h 02 min et 57 sec la ligne fictive, située au large de Marseille.

 

Le temps de référence en solitaire à battre a été établi en septembre 2012 par Thomas Coville (25 h 36 min 36 sec).

 

Dimanche en fin soirée, après plusieurs heures à quelques noeuds de vitesse seulement, le skipper du maxi trimaran Banque Populaire VII, en accord avec son équipe technique, avait préféré faire demi-tour pour mieux repartir.

 

Copyright © AFP 2013. Tous droits réservés.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 30 lundi septembre 2013 le Roman)

 

 

Record of the Mediterranean : Again from Le Cleac'h

 

Marseille - Armel Le Cleac'h (Banque Populaire VII), who had given the first Sunday after departure, was again rushed Monday morning shortly after 5:00 to assault the solo record for crossing the Mediterranean between Marseille and Carthage (458 miles) announced his entourage.

 

Twice second in the Vendée Globe in 2009 and 2013, Le Cleac'h cut to 5 hours 2 min 57 sec and the imaginary line, located off Marseille.

 

The reference time alone to beat was established in September 2012 by Thomas Coville (25 hours 36 min 36 sec).

 

Late Sunday night, after several hours to a few knots of speed only, the skipper of the maxi trimaran Banque Populaire VII, in accordance with its technical team had preferred to turn to better again.

 

Copyright © 2013 AFP. All rights reserved.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 30 Monday September 2013 The Roman)

(Translated: R.S.F. tohiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 30 Monday September 2013 The Roman)