RC Strasbourg 1-0 Olympique Marseille: Hosts hand De Zerbi's men first defeat of the season

Strasbourg ended Marseille's unbeaten run at the beginning of the season by securing a 1-0 victory at Stade de la Meinau, thereby ending a joint record 17-match winless streak in Ligue 1 encounters between the two teams.

Under the guidance of Liam Rosenior, the hosts have demonstrated their capability to compete with the league's top teams this season, having scored three goals each against Lyon, Lille, and Rennes. Consequently, it was anticipated that Le Racing would exhibit significant attacking prowess early in the match, with Dilane Bakwa coming close to scoring on two occasions within the first 15 minutes.

Marseille's goalkeeper, Gerónimo Rulli, remained resolute, successfully denying attempts from Sebastian Nanasi and Emanuel Emegha, the latter of whom also missed a header from a favorable position.

As the home supporters grew increasingly anxious about the missed opportunities, their concerns were alleviated when Strasbourg finally broke the deadlock five minutes before halftime. A rapid counterattack saw Nanasi find the overlapping Diego Moreira on the left flank, and the full-back delivered a powerful low shot past Rulli, marking his first goal of the season.

The visitors had to wait until just before halftime for their first shot on target, but Djorde Petrovic comfortably saved Mason Greenwood's attempt, ensuring that the hosts maintained their lead at the interval.

Roberto De Zerbi would have found the visitors' lackluster first-half performance surprising, given that his side had scored 15 goals in their first five league matches, the highest tally since the 1954/55 season. Unsurprisingly, the Strasbourg goalkeeper was called into action more frequently after the break, making an impressive low save to deny Greenwood and subsequently smothering a shot from substitute Neal Maupay at the near post.

As Strasbourg braced for a late surge from Marseille, the visitors struggled to maintain consistent pressure, allowing the hosts to secure a victory that propelled them into the top half of the table.

This win marked Strasbourg's first triumph over Marseille since 2005 and also celebrated their 1000th home victory across all competitions.

De Zerbi's team experienced their first loss during his tenure, as they failed to seize the opportunity to commence a Ligue 1 season with four consecutive away victories for the first time in history.