Dimitri Payet nets twice in Marseille win

BERTRAND LANGLOIS/AFP/Getty Images

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Marcelo Bielsa's Marseille finally showed what they are capable of with a 4-0 demolition of south-coast rivals Nice at the Stade Velodrome

OM had drawn and lost their opening two Ligue 1 games before recording a narrow 1-0 win over Guingamp, but they clicked into top gear on Friday night, with Dimitri Payet netting twice.

Florian Thauvin and Abdelaziz Barrada were also on target for the dominant hosts as they gained revenge for the three defeats they suffered to Nice last season.

Marseille were quickly up and running and Andre Ayew's cross picked out Thauvin, whose low shot was deflected behind by defender Souleymane Diawara.

Payet opening the scoring in the 19th minute, controlling Benjamin Mendy's ball in from the left and then shooting home from around the penalty spot.

Mendy was in the thick of the action again two minutes later, crossing to the far post where Thauvin saw another shot deflected away by a defender.

Thauvin and Payet then combined together to set up Imbula unmarked inside the area, but his low drive was blocked by goalkeeper Mouez Hassen.

Thauvin finally got his goal on the stroke of half-time, firing home from the left side of the area after an Ayew lay-off.

Two became three four minutes into the second half. Thauvin was freed down the right and he beat Jordan Amavi before crossing for Payet to head home from close range.

Payet, looking for a hat-trick, tried to lob Hassen, but the keeper was equal to it, while at the other end Steve Mandanda was finally called into action to block a Niklas Hult effort.

That was Nice's only moment of promise, though, and Marseille were back on the attack when Romain Alessandrini's shot following a Payet corner was cleared off the line by Amavi. And Alessandrini was involved in the fourth goal two minutes from time, making ground down the right and then crossing for Barrade to tap home and complete the rout.