Diawara boosts L'OM hopes

Marseille boosted their Group F qualification hopes after beating MSK Zilina 1-0 in a tense affair.

Diawara header hands Marseille first Group F win

Marseille boosted their Champions League Group F qualification hopes after beating MSK Zilina 1-0 in a tense affair in France. Souleymane Diawara headed home the all-important winner from a corner on 48 minutes to give Didier Deschamps' side their first victory of the campaign and reduce the gap to second-placed Spartak Moscow - who earlier lost to Chelsea - to three points. However, the outcome might have been different as Slovakian champions Zilina had a good penalty shout in the third minute when Momodou Ceesay went down under a challenge of Diawara but the referee remained unmoved. After this early scare, Marseille began to dominate and Andre-Pierre Gignac's effort from outside the box forced Martin Dubravka into a fine fingertip save to his left, with Stephane Mbia heading at the keeper from the subsequent corner. Gabriel Heinze then hit a free-kick from 30 yards into the wall before Mathieu Valbuena blasted over from distance and then shot wide on 11 minutes. The busy Dubravka made a good save to his left to deny an effort from Gignac, while Andre Ayew volleyed just wide on 25 minutes and then shot wide from distance soon afterwards.

Penalty shout

Marseille had their own penalty shout on the half hour mark when Heinze's shot hit Jozef Piacek's outstretched right arm but the referee waved play on before Brandao shot over from close range on the stroke of half time. Soon after the re-start, Valbuena went down under a challenge of Stanislav Angelovic in the box, with the Zilina defender getting the ball first and the Marseille player being booked after his penalty appeal was rightly rejected. But the home side were not to be denied and went ahead from the subsequent corner as Diawara headed home Lucho Gonzalez's kick, although the keeper should have saved his downward header, with Taye Taiwo then booked for celebrating the goal. Zilina came more into the game and Steve Mandanda saved well from the on-rushing Tomas Majtan, with the pair colliding as a result but were OK to continue. Robert Jez then latched onto a long ball and struck a good effort at goal but Mandanda was able to push his shot wide and Marseille cleared the corner. Zilina substitute Tomas Oravec almost snatched an equaliser at the death but his effort went just over as Marseille held on for a vital victory ahead of their trip to Slovakia on 3rd November.

Marseille	Team Statistics	MSK Zilina
1	Goals	0
0	1st Half Goals	0
7	Shots on Target	2
6	Shots off Target	5
7	Blocked Shots	1
13	Corners	10
13	Fouls	23
3	Offsides	3
4	Yellow Cards	1
0	Red Cards	0
79.3	Passing Success	65.5
21	Tackles	20
66.7	Tackles Success	85
64.3	Possession	35.7
55.4	Territorial Advantage	44.6