Marseille boost hopes of Champions League spot with another away win

Soccer Football – Ligue 1 – Stade Rennes v Olympique de Marseille – Roazhon Park, Rennes, France – March 5, 2023 Olympique de Marseille’s Sead Kolasinac scores their first goal past Stade Rennes’ Steve Mandanda REUTERS/Stephane Mahe
PARIS, March 5 (Reuters) – Olympique de Marseille boosted their hopes of Champions League football next season after Sead Kolasinac’s second-half goal gave them a 1-0 victory at Stade Rennais in Ligue 1 on Sunday.

The result put second-placed OM, who have fared better away from home this season, on 55 points from 26 games, eight behind Paris St Germain but four ahead of AS Monaco in third.

Monaco, who led 2-1 at Troyes after a late Wissam Ben Yedder double, were held 2-2 following Ike Ugbo’s stoppage-time equaliser and lead fourth-placed RC Lens on goals scored.

Rennes are fifth on 46 points after OM’s seventh consecutive away win.

At the Roazhon Park, the Brittany hosts were the first in action as Amine Gouiri’s fierce shot from just outside the box crashed onto the crossbar in the 15th minute.

Gouiri then found Karl Toko-Ekambi with a fine cross, only for the winger’s attempt to be parried away by Pau Lopez as OM hung on for dear life.

It was however Marseille who opened the scoring when Sead Kolasinac tapped in from Cengiz Under’s cross 12 minutes into the second half.