A weakened Olympique de Marseille could only manage a 2-2 draw with Ligue 2 side Nimes Olympique on Friday evening.
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OM didn’t rest during the international weekend and instead kept the intensity of their campaign up with a friendly fixture against neighbours Nimes.
It took less than twenty minutes for Marseille to take the lead, with right winger Florian Thauvin—still waiting for his first French cap—finding the net.
Former OM forward Toifilou Maoulida responded moments later as Marseille momentarily lost concentration after going ahead.
Only seven minutes later, the Crocodiles took an unlikely lead when Panagiotis Vlachodimos—on loan at the club from Olympiakos beat Brice Samba.
Just after the hour mark, however, OM drew level when Andre-Pierre Gignac—another French attacker not involved in Didier Deschamps’s plans—made it 2-2.
Gignac led the line for OM in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Mario Lemina featured just behind him with Lucas Ocampos and Florian Thauvin on the flanks. Giannelli Imbula was partnered by Momar Bangoura in the midfield.
The back five consisted of Samba, Alphousseyni Sane, Rod Fanni, Gabriel Dubois and Brice Dje Djedje.