Mason Greenwood made a stunning debut for Marseille, scoring twice in a 5-1 victory at Brest on Saturday in the opening match of the Ligue 1 season. Greenwood, who joined Marseille from Manchester United last month, opened the scoring within three minutes and added another goal from the penalty spot on the half-hour mark after Luis Henrique had given Marseille a 2-0 lead. Henrique scored again following Mahdi Camara’s goal that briefly reduced the deficit to 3-1 before halftime. Greenwood played a key role in both of Henrique's goals.
Marseille's dominance was further emphasized when Greenwood won a second penalty, which was converted by Elye Wahi, another new signing from Lens. Greenwood's transfer to Marseille follows a turbulent period at Manchester United, where he faced serious allegations that were later dropped. Despite the controversy surrounding his signing, Marseille fans and officials, including the city's mayor Benoit Payan, have voiced their disapproval.
In addition to Greenwood, Marseille's lineup featured several new faces, including Argentine goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli, Canadian defender Derek Cornelius, Danish midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, and Wahi. Rulli, a member of Argentina's victorious 2022 World Cup squad, had a notable debut as he saved an early penalty from Romain Del Castillo. Roberto De Zerbi, who took over as Marseille manager in June, is overseeing a significant overhaul after a turbulent season marked by multiple managerial changes and failure to secure European qualification.
Elsewhere, Paris Saint-Germain began their title defense with a convincing 4-1 win at Le Havre, despite the recent departure of star player Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid. Lee Kang-in gave PSG an early lead, and though Gautier Lloris equalized for Le Havre, late goals from Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola, and a Randal Kolo Muani penalty secured the victory. Meanwhile, Monaco, last season's runners-up, and Lille, who recently reached the Champions League play-offs, also began their campaigns with matches later on Saturday.
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