OM scrapes past Le Havre 4-3 but Genesio sharply rebukes substitutes

Olympique de Marseille held on to beat Le Havre 4-3 at the Vélodrome on Sunday in Ligue 1, but it was far from comfortable. Down 4-0 entering the final quarter hour, Le Havre scored three goals late on and nearly snatched a draw, with two suspected handballs in the box dismissed during added time.

The defensive collapse coincided with the mass substitutions of Harit, Gouiri, Abdelli, Höjbjerg and Paixao, replaced by Abdallah, Maupay, Kamissoko, Gomes and Garcia. Bruno Genesio did not let this pass unnoticed, expressing his frustration publicly in his post-match press conference. Abdelli was even more direct in the immediate aftermath: “The substitutes have to give their all too. Tonight, that wasn’t the case.”

According to La Provence, tensions ran much higher behind the scenes. While Genesio was measured in front of the media, he reportedly gave Maupay, Gomes and Garcia a sharp dressing-down in private, criticizing their insufficient contribution — not just in the closing stages but more broadly throughout the match.

The OM coach also publicly highlighted the shortcomings of young players Abdallah and Kamissoko, saying they still had much to learn. According to the regional newspaper, Abdallah is already set to be sent to the Pro 2 group.

Despite these internal tensions, OM picked up three crucial points that allow them to return to a winning run in the league and climb back into the upper half of the table. The team’s defensive solidity over the course of a full match remains an open question that Genesio will need to address quickly.