Sir Alex Ferguson travelled to Brittany on Friday to watch Marseilles beat Rennes 2-0 thanks to goals from Loïc Rémy and Lucho Gonzalez, a result that keeps them in touch with the teams at the top of the French league.
The Manchester United manager witnessed a morale-boosting win after Marseilles’ defeat five days previously by Lille, the Ligue 1 front-runners. It was a triumphant end to a turbulent week for Didier Deschamps’ side, who face United at Old Trafford tomorrow in the Champions League round of 16, second leg.
Brandão, the striker who featured in the goalless first leg, missed the game in Rennes and will not travel to Manchester after being charged with a sexual assault last week. Then reports emerged in the Italian media linking Deschamps, the coach, with a summer move to Juventus.
Deschamps was criticised by the Marseilles president, Jean-Claude Dassier, for allowing his players to perform a public display of support for Brandão during the game against Rennes. When Rémy scored, two players ran to the visiting fans and held aloft a shirt bearing Brandão’s name. Given the nature of the allegations against the striker, the gesture attracted controversy.
“I understand the need to try to comfort a team-mate but a bit of tact would have been good,” Dassier said.
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Marseilles may have lacked a cutting edge in the first leg but will be cheered by the return of André-Pierre Gignac, who missed the goalless draw with United at the Stade Vélodrome with a groin injury. Mathieu Valbuena, a substitute in the first leg because of a knee problem, is available to start tomorrow and the winger has a good record in England having scored the winner for Marseilles at Anfield in the Champions League group stage in 2007. He also found the net at Wembley last November as France beat England 2-1.
“There’s a lot of hope in the team,” Gabriel Heinze, the Marseilles and former United defender, said. “Of course it’s going to be difficult, but I believe we can do it.”
Deschamps also travelled to Old Trafford on Saturday to see the home team beat Arsenal and keep a clean sheet. While an away goal for the French side would make life awkward, United have conceded only once in seven European matches this season. If the visiting team are coming in an optimistic mood, their opponents are also entitled to be confident.
Ferguson said that he did not start Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs against Arsenal because he was saving them for Marseilles. He added that there was a “slight chance” Jonny Evans could be fit, while Nani, who sustained a deep leg gash after a reckless tackle from Jamie Carragher at Anfield last week, could return this weekend.