After the Adrien Rabiot affair, Olympique de Marseille is reassured against Paris FC

The 2025-2026 Ligue 1 season is still in its infancy, but Olympique de Marseille was already playing for a lot against Paris FC on Saturday, August 23, at its Stade-Vélodrome, a week after a first defeat (1-0) in Rennes and a fight between players which led to the sidelining of Adrien Rabiot, considered until then as the club's star player. Without the midfielder, whom OM has officially placed on the transfer market, OM won 5-2 against the promoted Parisian, beaten for a second time on this ^2nd day of the French championship.

In the first half, in front of a crowd as fiery as ever, OM first suffered a scare: a header against the post, in the ^5th minute of play, by Willem Geubbels, 24, who joined Paris FC a few days ago from St. Gallen (Switzerland). It was then a returning player, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who took it upon himself to reassure the crowd and the Marseille management, including the club's owner, the American Frank McCourt, who approved Rabiot's dismissal after the locker room brawl on August 15.

After a successful 2023-2024 season with OM, the Gabonese international striker joined the lucrative Saudi league and Al-Qadsiah Football Club last season. Against all odds, Aubameyang, who notably played for Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal, and Chelsea during his long career, returned to Marseille this summer. The Stade-Vélodrome was able to see that at 36 years old, he has plenty left. In the ^13th minute of play, his shot hit the post of Obed Nkambadio, the Paris FC goalkeeper. In the process, he caused a penalty converted by England's Mason Greenwood (1-0, ^18th ). Then Aubameyang victoriously volleyed home a corner kick with an acrobatic effort (2-0, ^25th ).

Everything seemed in place for OM to secure a reassuring first victory in Ligue 1 this season. But they didn't count on the talent of Ilan Kebbal, the attacking midfielder for Paris FC... born in Marseille. In the 28th ^minute , the Algerian international reduced the deficit with a superb curling shot (2-1). Then, in the second half, with a beautiful through ball, Kebbal set up the equalizer for Nigerian Moses Simon (2-2, 58th ^minute ).

Olympique de Marseille then showed a rather unsettling face, committing a series of technical errors. But, once again, Aubameyang put OM back on track by scoring a second goal with the flat of his right foot, after taking advantage of a defensive error by the Parisians (3-2, ^73rd ).

Denmark's Pierre-Emile Höjbjerg then sealed the deal with a fine, tight shot, after a clever backheel from Morocco's Bilal Nadir, who had come on a few moments earlier (4-2, ^81st ). With confidence, OM even offered their fans a final goal thanks to another substitute, the young Robinio Vaz, 18, at the very end of the match (5-2, ^90th + 6).