Marseille opened the final of the French League playoffs with a 14:12 victory over Pays d’Aix in Aix-en-Provence and now has two “match points” at home field next week. The team that secures two wins will become the champion. The second match is scheduled to take place in Marseille on May 24. If Pays d’Aix manages to tie the series, a third game will be held in Marseille a day later
Encouraged by strong support from the fans, Pays d’Aix started well, leading 2:0 and 3:1 at the beginning. However, Marseille quickly took control of the match. The visitors scored four goals in the last three minutes of the first quarter, earning a 5:3 lead. Throughout the remainder of the match, Marseille was always ahead, although Pays d’Aix kept pressing. The hosts managed to reduce the gap to one goal three times in the 2nd period (4:5, 5:6, and 6:7).
Marseille’s Velotto closed the first half, making it 8:6. Crousillat and Bodegas both scored power-play goals within the first two minutes of the third period, and Marseille built a four-goal lead for the first time (10:6). The title-holders maintained this four-goal advantage for a while, but the contest was far from over. Ugo Crousillat made it 12:8 in the 21st minute. However, Pays d’Aix responded with a 3:0 run. In the 26th minute, Beteille scored during an extra-player attack to narrow the difference to 11:12. Marion-Vernoux then doubled Marseille’s lead, but Pays d’Aix refused to give up. Montes Gomez netted an action goal with 3:13 left on the clock. However, Andrija Prlainovic quickly replied in the next possession, scoring for Marseille and sealing the victory, 14:12.
2025 French League playoffs
Final (best of three) Match 1
Pays d’Aix – Marseille 12:14 (3:5, 3:3, 3:4, 3:2)
Pays d’Aix: Bachelier 3, Watanabe 3, Beteille 2, Khasz 2, Gomez 2.
Marseille: Prlainovic 3, Bouet 3, Angyal 2, Crousillat 2, Marion-Vernoux 2, Bodegas 1, Velotto 1.
3rd-place playoffs (best of three)
Montpellier – Strasbourg 10:14 (1:3, 1:3, 3:2, 5:6)
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