Without captain Timothy Weah, suspended, and Pierre-Emile H\u00f8jbjerg, injured, Bruno Genesio opened his XI to two youngsters: Kelyann Bezahaf, 20, a right-back and Algeria Under-23 international; Nouhoum Kamissoko, 21, a Malian holding midfielder. Ninety minutes later Marseille had won 0-2 at Troyes, through Amine Harit and Himad Abdelli, and a run of four straight defeats was over.<\/p>\n
Weah was serving a red card, H\u00f8jbjerg was out with a muscle injury, and Genesio preferred Kamissoko to Tochukwu Nnadi in front of the back line. The call showed at the opening goal: on 50 minutes, an orientation pass from Kamissoko put Harit in position to score. Bezahaf played the full ninety: two interceptions, six balls won back, a tackle in the 89th minute. Kamissoko went off on 73 minutes with cramp. For L\u2019\u00c9quipe, the pair \u201chave simply been Marseille\u2019s best players over the whole match\u201d; on RMC Sport, Genesio called them \u201cthe two players who played with the most freedom in the first half\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were the two who took the most initiatives […] maybe the recklessness of youth…\u201d, Genesio analysed in L\u2019\u00c9quipe, adding he was \u201chappy to see we can count on them, because we will need them\u201d. Weah\u2019s return still raises a question: the paper fancies Bezahaf to compete for the right flank instead of handing the shirt back. For now, it is a hypothesis, not an announcement from the coach.<\/p>\n
Bezahaf himself stayed measured. In the mixed zone he took on the ambitions of the group: \u201cThis is the moment to show things, that we are able to help this OM, which should normally be playing at the top of the table.\u201d And he added: \u201cThis stage will pass very quickly. We are going to climb back up, and it went through today.\u201d<\/p>\n
One win does not straighten a table: Marseille stay 13th in Ligue 1 on 6 points after six rounds. But the data point that will matter for their next odds is here: the club have just won away with a right-back who had six senior minutes to his name and a holding midfielder back from a loan at Ch\u00e2teauroux. If Genesio keeps the pair in the XI next time out, the pecking order on the team sheet will not be the same.<\/p>\n