Olympique de Marseille kicked off their Ligue 1 campaign in commanding fashion with a comprehensive 4-0 victory over 10-man Strasbourg at the Orange Velodrome, propelled by a second-half brace from striker Amine Gouiri.

The victory gave manager Bruno Genesio an ideal start to his Marseille tenure as his team dominated proceedings from the outset. While Angel Gomes missed two early opportunities and Strasbourg goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen repelled an effort from Amine Harit late in the first half, the hosts broke the deadlock just 58 seconds into the second period.

Igor Paixao provided the spark, nutmegging Guela Doue on a driving run forward before feeding Gomes, who squared the ball across for Gouiri to finish with ease from close range.

Red Card Opens Floodgates

Strasbourg's task went from difficult to insurmountable just before the hour mark when Samir El Mourabet received a straight red card following a VAR review for an off-the-ball swipe at Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

Marseille quickly capitalised on the numerical advantage. After another VAR review penalised Doue for bringing down Paixao inside the penalty area, Gouiri calmly converted from the spot to double his tally and Marseille's lead.

The hosts continued to pile on the pressure late in the game:

• 89th minute: 20-year-old substitute Keyliane Abdallah powered a strike in at the near post to make it 3-0.
• Stoppage time: Hojbjerg capped off the victory with a well-controlled volley deep into added time.

Gouiri's Velodrome Dominance

Marseille thoroughly controlled the contest, racking up 1.89 expected goals (xG) from 14 attempts while restricting the visitors to just 0.2 xG from five shots. Gouiri was at the heart of the attack throughout, leading all players on the pitch with five shots and nine touches inside the opposition penalty area.

The Algerian international forward has now registered 11 direct goal contributions (eight goals, three assists) across his last eight competitive appearances on home soil.