Olympique de Marseille’s Ligue 1 opener ended in disappointment. Despite playing with a man advantage for over an hour, Roberto De Zerbi’s side fell 1-0 to Rennes, with Ludovic Blas scoring deep into stoppage time.

The defeat was a blow for Marseille, who hoped to start the campaign strongly but lacked cutting edge in attack and left the Roazhon Park empty-handed.

Early red card, wasted dominance

The match appeared to swing in Marseille’s favor in the 31st minute when Ait-Boudlal was shown a straight red card for a rough challenge on Murillo. The referee’s decision, confirmed by VAR, left Rennes down to ten men and shifted the momentum.

With the extra man, Marseille pressed for the opener and came close at the end of the first half when Adrien Rabiot hit the post. Misfortune struck again in the second half as Murillo also rattled the woodwork, squandering another golden chance.

Rennes hold firm, strike late

Despite being a man down, Rennes remained tactically disciplined and bided their time. Their plan paid off in the 91st minute when substitute Ludovic Blas, on the pitch for just six minutes, found space in the defense and finished clinically past Gerónimo Rulli to seal the 1-0 victory.

The late strike sent the stadium into ecstasy and left Marseille bitterly frustrated: sterile possession and missed opportunities proved costly.

The setback forces Olympique de Marseille to rethink their approach ahead of the second matchday, where they’ll need points to avoid an early slip in the standings. Rennes, meanwhile, kick off the season with a statement win that boosts confidence and underlines their ambition in Ligue 1.