Mason Greenwood Shines in Marseille Debut as Lille Triumph Despite Angel Gomes' Injury Scare

Mason Greenwood made an explosive start to his Marseille career, scoring twice in a dominant 5-1 victory over Brest in Ligue 1 on Saturday. The former Manchester United forward, who recently joined Marseille, wasted no time making an impact, netting his first goal just three minutes into the match. Greenwood added a second goal from the penalty spot, contributing significantly to Marseille’s commanding performance.

Greenwood, who had been suspended from Manchester United in 2022 following allegations of attempted rape and sexual assault, saw the charges dropped in 2023. He spent the previous season with Getafe in Spain before making his move to Marseille. Despite his strong performance on the pitch, Greenwood’s signing has been met with controversy, including criticism from Marseille’s left-wing mayor, Benoit Payan.

In addition to Greenwood’s heroics, Marseille’s other new signings, including Elye Wahi and Geronimo Rulli, played pivotal roles in the victory. Wahi, who joined from Lens, scored a penalty after Greenwood won a second spot-kick. Meanwhile, Rulli, the Argentine goalkeeper, made a crucial save early in the match.

Marseille’s new head coach, Roberto De Zerbi, expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance, stating, "I’m very happy with everything. The result and the attitude of the team were exactly what we needed." De Zerbi, who took over in June, has been tasked with rebuilding the team after a turbulent season that saw Marseille cycle through three coaches and miss out on European qualification.

While Marseille celebrated a triumphant start to their season, Lille faced a more challenging encounter against Reims. Despite securing a 2-0 victory, the match was overshadowed by a frightening injury to Angel Gomes. The 23-year-old midfielder, another Manchester United academy graduate like Greenwood, was knocked unconscious after a clash of heads with Reims’ Amadou Kone.

The incident halted the match for 34 minutes as medical staff attended to Gomes, who was eventually stretchered off and taken to the hospital. Lille coach Bruno Genesio later expressed his deep concern, describing the moment as "very, very scary" and criticizing Kone’s conduct during the challenge.

Despite the distressing incident, Lille managed to maintain their focus, with Bafode Diakite scoring just before halftime and Jonathan David adding a second goal late in the game. Genesio praised his team’s resilience, emphasizing the importance of Gomes’ recovery over the match’s result.

Elsewhere in Ligue 1, Monaco secured a 1-0 win over Saint-Etienne, while Paris Saint-Germain began their title defense with a 4-1 victory at Le Havre, marking their first game since the departure of Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid.

As Ligue 1 action heats up, all eyes will be on the recovery of Angel Gomes and the continued impact of Mason Greenwood as the season progresses.