Ghana internationals Elisha Owusu and Gideon Mensah delivered a masterclass performance to help AJ Auxerre end their nine-game winless run against Olympique Marseille in the French Ligue 1.
An impressive first-half output ensured Auxerre to record a 3-1 away victory over Olympique Marseille at the Stade Vélodrome on Friday night.
Despite an early dominance of Roberto De Zerbi's side, Lassine Sinayoko silenced the hosts when he capitalized on a defensive blunder to give Auxerre the lead in the 10th minute.
The woes of Olympique Marseille were deepened on the stroke of halftime when they conceded two quick goals through Gaëtan Perrin and Hamed Traorè in the 43rd and 45th minutes of the game, respectively.
The hosts were handed a huge lifeline shortly after the hour mark when Mason Greenwood’s goalbound strike was blocked by the arm of Clément Akpa.
Greenwood assumed responsibility from the spot and powered home into the bottom left corner, but it wasn't enough to earn them a point at the Stade Vélodrome as it ended in a 3-1 win for Auxerre.
Elisha Owusu and Gideon Mensah inspires Auxerre to sweet win over Marseille
Gideon Mensah, who lasted for the full duration of the match in the flanks, was among the outstanding performers of Auxerre.
He was rated 7.7 by Flashscore for being constantly in action and usually came off the best in his duels with Mason Greenwood and Pol Lirola. He personified the defensive spirit and grit that Auxerre showed.
Elisha Owusu, who celebrated his 27th birthday on Thursday, also enjoyed the entire duration of the game, and he was at his usual best in the midfield of AJ Auxerre.
AJ Auxerre have moved up to sixth place on the French Ligue 1 table with 16 points following the famous win at Olympique Marseille.
Owusu and Mensah were included in Ghana's 25-man squad list for the final matches of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers against Angola and Niger later this month.
