Critics are raining down on Kylian Mbappé, mute in 2021 with PSG, but Dimitri Payet is not spared on the side of Marseille either. Scratched for his physical condition far from optimal, the attacking midfielder did not show off during the crushing defeat OM against Nîmes (1-2).
Unable to weigh in the game, the usual technical leader of the Marseille team was still disappointing. Worse, his involvement left something to be desired even in his statistics on the field. With a total of 6.81 kilometers traveled against the Gard club, Dimitri Payet is the field player who ran the least among the holders lined up by André Villas-Boas (exception ruled by Boubacar Kamara, who was injured after thirty minutes).
Without a huge failure by Dario Benedetto against Baptiste Reynet after a cross from Reunion, or the penalty left to Florian Thauvin, Dimitri Payet could have saved his performance by being decisive.
Since his return from suspension in mid-December, the 33-year-old French international (38 caps) has proven to be less effective with two goals and two offerings in seven games. So much so that André Villas-Boas finally decided and decided to leave his playmaker in the 66th minute. A replacement coupled with three other changes to cause an electric shock in his players.
Payet ran out of juice
Unable to make the difference with the ball to the foot, Dimitri Payet in particular did not have the kick enough to overwhelm Sofiane Alakouch, his opposite on the field.
Apart from a successful dribble at the start of the match, the left-hander of OM struggled and did not do many races with only five sprints and an average speed of six kilometers per hour during the match.
The Reunionese did not do better than a peak at 27.86 km / h. By way of comparison, Florian Thauvin reached 34.85 km / h on an acceleration and in the eleven holders of Marseille against the Crocos, only goalkeeper Yohann Pelé ran slower than Dimitri Payet.
If OM want to join in the fight for the title in Ligue 1, it will take a great Dimitri Payet. And for the moment, the winger remains far from his best level.
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