Andre Ayew delivered a magnificent showing in his penultimate performance for Olympique de Marseille as Marcelo Bielsa’s side demolished LOSC Lille at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Ligue 1.
Despite a close contest being expected, OM completely dominated their opponents and demonstrated the gulf in class that currently exists between themselves and the side who took their championship in 2011.
Marseille opened the scoring on two minutes when Vincent Enyeama fumbled a Dimitri Payet cross, allowing West Ham United target Andre-Pierre Gignac to steal in and finish with aplomb.
It was 2-0 just over 20 minutes later, when veteran defender Rod Fanni—another linked with the OM exit door—headed past Enyeama from a Payet set piece.
The contest was sealed midway through the second half, when Romain Alessandrini—who has replaced Florian Thauvin in the starting XI in recent weeks—was played in on goal by an exquisite Ayew pass.
It was the Ghanian himself who rounded-off the contest six minutes later, when Giannelli Imbula played him in for the Black Star to finish with ease past Enyeama.
The celebratory mood around the Phoceens team at the end of the match belied both the fact that this season is likely to end in disappointment, and the fact that this fine side are on the brink of being disbanded.
The title challenge that many hoped would come from Bielsa’s talented collective faded with their four-match losing streak last month, while numerous players from the XI that bested Lille are unlikely to be at the club next term.
Ayew, of course, is a confirmed departure, with club president Vincent Labrune admitting earlier this week that the club had given up hope of agreeing a new deal with the Black Star.
While there has been interest in the Ghanaian from across Europe—with clubs in Germany, Italy and Paris Saint-Germain in France reportedly keen on his services—it looks most likely that Ayew will end up in the Premier League.
Liverpool are favourites to sign the forward after he admitted that he was a boyhood Reds fan, although the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal may also look to compete for Ayew’s signature.
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