Brest 2-0 Marseille: Ajorque Brace Secures Victory As Marseille Slump Continues Under Beye

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Ludovic Ajorque struck twice as Brest beat Marseille 2-0, handing Habib Beye a losing debut. The result lifted Brest to 11th place in Ligue 1, while Marseille’s away problems continued. Mason Greenwood missed a late penalty that could have set up a tense finish for the visitors.

Brest took early control and never really let it go, with Ajorque central to almost every dangerous move. Marseille created several chances after half-time and pushed Brest back, yet Gregoire Coudert preserved a clean sheet. The visitors’ failure to convert key opportunities highlighted their current issues on the road.

The breakthrough arrived in the 10th minute after Brest started with real purpose. Hugo Magnetti flicked on a near-post ball, and Ajorque darted across his marker to glance a header beyond Geronimo Rulli. The Marseille goalkeeper could only watch as the effort nestled inside the far corner.

Marseille almost hit back when Mason Greenwood and Daouda Guindo traded chances at opposite ends in a lively spell. Greenwood saw one opening slip away, while Guindo could not take advantage at the other side. Brest, however, kept exploiting space in wide areas and looked sharper in both penalty boxes.

Ajorque doubled the lead in the 29th minute after more precise service from Magnetti. The midfielder bent a curling cross from the right, and Ajorque climbed highest to meet it. The header crashed in off the left post, leaving Rulli again with little chance to intervene.

The striker almost completed a first-half hat-trick before the interval. Ajorque slipped between two Marseille defenders and unleashed a fierce drive. This time the woodwork rescued the visitors, as the ball cannoned off the crossbar and bounced away, giving Marseille a slim lifeline going into the break.

Brest vs Marseille: Second-half improvement and Greenwood’s penalty miss

Marseille responded after half-time with more energy and better control in midfield. Quinten Timber tested Coudert with a low shot, which the Brest goalkeeper smothered smartly. The visitors built pressure down both flanks, yet Brest stayed compact, forcing Marseille into attempts from less threatening positions.

The decisive moment of Marseille’s revival came in the 82nd minute. Guindo caught Greenwood from behind inside the area, and the referee pointed to the spot. Greenwood stepped up but drove his penalty to Coudert’s right at a comfortable height, allowing the goalkeeper to push it away and keep Brest’s two-goal cushion.

Brest vs Marseille: Ligue 1 stats highlight away slump

The defeat stretched Marseille’s run to four Ligue 1 matches without a win, with two draws and two losses. It is Marseille’s longest winless league sequence since March-April 2024. Beye therefore begins his tenure with the team drifting further away from the division’s leading group.

Marseille’s travelling record is a growing concern across all competitions. They have conceded 12 goals in their last four away games, having allowed only 10 in the previous 10. In Ligue 1 matches played away from home in 2026, Marseille have the worst defensive record, letting in 11 goals.

Underlying numbers from Brest’s victory underlined Marseille’s frustration. The visitors allowed only 1.13 expected goals against from 12 shots, yet still shipped two. At the other end, Marseille underperformed their 1.42 expected goals, reflecting profligacy in key moments, including Greenwood’s missed penalty late in the match.

Brest’s win continued an effective record against strong Ligue 1 opponents this season. Brest have collected 16 points against teams currently in the top half of the table. Ajorque led this latest effort with five shots, both attempts on target converted, and 0.8 expected goals added to Brest’s overall attacking output.