Marseille ease to comfortable win over Rennes to grab Europa League spot

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/rennes/d2nnj1IE/"]Rennes[/a] started the final day in fifth spot, with a three-point advantage over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/marseille/SblU3Hee/"]Marseille[/a] and with an outside chance of snatching a top-four finish.[/p][p]However, any hopes of clinching UEFA Champions League qualification were effectively quashed by a disastrous opening 10 minutes at the Stade Vélodrome. [/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hojbjerg-pierre-emile/ITwS8wMo/"]Pierre-Emile Højbjerg[/a] required just two minutes to score his fourth Ligue 1 goal of the season, slotting a low shot beyond [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/silistrie-mathys/xWj52MxL/"]Mathys Silistrie[/a].[/b][/p][p][b]Matters quickly got worse for Rennes when the determined [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gouiri-amine/K0zFVdU8/"]Amine Gouiri[/a] charged down Silistrie’s clearance to force the ball into the awaiting net. [/b][/p][image alt="Momentum" id="cf1de38c-49ef-4b87-b3fc-d73bb7c6fcec" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="99d97343-64d4-4e6b-8e1f-fb3d263174cd" original-width="1920" original-height="1080" /][p]After being left dazed by their sluggish start, Rennes eventually offered an attacking threat midway through the first period when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/blas-ludovic/Uwj8SaVP/"]Ludovic Blas[/a] forced [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rulli-geronimo/rcbM0Dd8/"]Gerónimo Rulli[/a] into a near-post stop.[/p][p]The Marseille goalkeeper was then required to make a much tougher stop to keep out Musa Al-Taamari's curling effort from distance, reacting smartly to tip the ball onto the crossbar. [/p][p]After being reminded of the visitor's threat, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/beye-habib/f5Mxl8ba/"]Habib Beye[/a], who was sacked by Rennes in February, would have been delighted to see [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/aubameyang-pierre-emerick/Wl4EyKZk/"]Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang[/a] extend his team’s lead in the opening stages of the second period. [/p][p][b]A move that started with Rennes carelessly losing possession culminated with Aubameyang sending an inch-perfect chip in at the far post. [/b][/p][p][b]As the game entered the closing stages, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lepaul-esteban/GGw2OEMr/"]Esteban Lepaul[/a] proved why he is Ligue 1’s top scorer, rising high to steer a header home from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nordin-arnaud/A7vSQTKq/"]Arnaud Nordin[/a]’s clipped cross, just minutes after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/camara-mahdi/IsJ0zlTM/"]Mahdi Camara[/a] had struck the woodwork.[/b][/p][image alt="Key match stats" id="3e5abf63-8c9c-463c-976d-ab8492c62be0" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="b010c2a3-c202-4b3b-85ca-0376cc245a24" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]Lepaul’s 21st league goal gave Franck Haise’s charges some late impetus, but it could not stop them from falling to a defeat that will send them to the Conference League, unless [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/lens/IBmris38/"]Lens[/a] beat [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/nice/YagoQJpq/"]Nice[/a] in the Coupe de France final to convert sixth place into a UEL spot.[/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hojbjerg-pierre-emile/ITwS8wMo/"]Pierre-Emile Højbjerg[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/marseille/SblU3Hee/"]Marseille[/a])[/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/marseille-SblU3Hee/rennes-d2nnj1IE/?mid=xbwdLg87"]Catch up on the match stats here[/a][/b][/p]