Morocco midfielder Amine Harit scores as Marseille end losing run with win at Troyes

Moroccan international Amine Harit scored as Marseille ended their four-game losing streak in Ligue 1 with a 2-0 victory away to Troyes on Sunday.

Harit and Himad Abdelli scored second-half goals to lift Marseille to 13th place after a difficult run of results had left them in the relegation zone at the start of the weekend.

Marseille had lost five consecutive matches in all competitions, but the victory helped them avoid matching their worst losing streak in the past 40 years.

Harit breaks the deadlock

Harit opened the scoring shortly after half-time, steering home a cross from Emerson Palmieri to give Marseille the advantage.

Abdelli then converted a late penalty to double the lead and put the visitors in control.

Troyes came close to reducing the deficit before Abdelli’s goal, while Renaud Ripart struck the post with a volley in stoppage time.

Marseille respond despite setbacks

Marseille’s preparations had been complicated by injuries and suspensions ahead of a demanding schedule of eight matches in 28 days.

Danish midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg suffered an injury during the international break, while captain Timothy Weah missed Sunday’s match after being sent off in the defeat by Paris Saint-Germain last month.

Coach Bruno Genesio had emphasised the importance of halting the team’s decline, and the victory provided a response after their difficult run.

Elsewhere, Rennes moved up to third place with a 4-1 win over Auxerre, while Nice came from behind to defeat Strasbourg 2-1.