Amine Gouiri played a pivotal role in Olympique de Marseille’s hard-fought 2-0 victory over FC Nantes on Sunday, breaking the deadlock in a match that remained goalless for much of the evening.
The Algerian forward, who found the net in the second half, credited a motivational half-time team talk as the decisive factor behind the turnaround.
“The real change came at half-time,” Gouiri told DAZN. “The first half was difficult, we had to face a well-organised team that was difficult to break through. But at the break, we realised that we had to redouble our efforts.”
Despite Marseille dominating possession, Nantes’ disciplined defensive structure proved difficult to penetrate in the opening 45 minutes.
The visitors’ resilience frustrated the home side, who struggled to create clear-cut chances.
However, the interval provided an opportunity for head coach Gennaro Gattuso to rally his squad, urging them to increase their intensity and press higher up the pitch.
Gouiri’s goal came shortly after the restart, as he capitalised on a loose ball in the penalty area, slotting it past Nantes goalkeeper Alban Lafont to break the deadlock.
The strike injected new energy into Marseille, who continued to press forward in search of a second.
Their persistence paid off in the closing stages, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang adding the second goal to seal the victory and maintain Marseille’s hold on second place in Ligue 1.
The result keeps OM three points clear of third-placed OGC Nice, consolidating their position among the league’s frontrunners.
“It was important to win tonight, especially after the first half,” Gouiri added. “We showed character and took the three points, which is the most important thing.”
Marseille will look to build on this momentum as they continue their pursuit of Champions League qualification, with their next challenge coming against Stade Rennais next weekend.
