Marseille remain without a win at their Stade Vélodrome since mid-September after falling 5-2 to Europe-chasing Rennes. Yoann Gourcuff scored twice (4', 59') to help lift Rolland Courbis' side to a provisional third.
Olympique de Marseille 2 - 5 Stade Rennais FC 
It has been a miserable run at
home for Les Phocéens, whose last victory
on the French south coast came against SC Bastia back in Week 5. Stade Rennais
bounced into the game five places and six points better off than their
embattled hosts, and they flew into a three-goal lead inside the opening 15
minutes.
Gourcuff was in
the Rennes starting line-up for only the fifth tine following last summer's
switch from Olympique Lyonnais, but despite his injuries, the France
international remains deadly when on form. Giovanni Sio got free down the right
before squaring for Gourcuff, and he steered the ball past OM captain Steve
Mandanda for 1-0 (4').
Mandanda misery
Mandanda misery
Unlike Gourcuff, Kamil Grosicki has been left out of the Rennes
starting line-up repeatedly this campaign for tactical reasons alone - no
player has scored more from the bench than the Pole this season. Handed a start
here he was eager to stake his claim for further inclusion, and he did his
hopes little damage after steering in a wicked free-kick that Fallou Diagne
nodded home for 2-0 (9').
Mandanda managed nine saves in Saturday's 1-1 draw at FC Lorient, but he was picking the ball out of his net for a third time within a catastrophic quarter of an hour after Nicolas Nkoulou deflected Ousmane Dembélé's shot from the edge of the box past his own 'keeper (14').
Having drawn their previous five matches, hope turned to
expectation for Marseille either side of half-time. Florian Thauvin reduced the
arrears with a well-taken goal (20'), and when Rolando forced home a Thauvin
corner after a spill from Benoît Costil (50'), it looked like Marseille might
fight back.
Diaby debut
Their hopes were dashed within the hour, though. Gourcuff cut inside from the left before letting fly from 20 meters to score what was a stunning fist brace since October 2014 (59'). Sio then got his name on the score sheet when he latched onto Dembélé's cut-back to convert his sixth goal of the season from close range (77').
There was a late cheer in the Vélodrome when Abou Diaby entered the fray for Thauvin (78'), but the injury-ravaged former Arsenal FC man was unable to turn the tide on his debut and it ended 5-2 to Rennes. The win sees Les Rouges et Noirs leapfrog Lyon and OGC Nice having played a game more. Marseille remain tenth, with the pressure now mounting on coach Michel ahead of Sunday's trip to the last team they beat at home, Bastia.
