Marseille began their quest for an unprecedented third consecutive French League Cup title with a 4-0 win at home to Ligue 2 side Lens on Tuesday that took them into the quarter-finals.
Andre-Pierre Gignac and Jordan Ayew both claimed their first goals of the season, with Loic Remy's brace sealing a straightforward victory after he came on as a substitute in the second half.
Marseille coach Didier Deschamps was relieved to have followed up last weekend's much-needed league win over Ajaccio with this victory in what has been thusfar a difficult season for the 2010 champions and their highly-regarded coach.
"It is the first time we have won two successive matches this season," said Deschamps, whose side have only won twice in 11 Ligue 1 matches this season.
"But that always needs confirming that we are back on the right road. We are going to Dijon on Saturday and given our present situation, it will demand this confirmation.
"The best vitamin is victory, the more we put together the better it will be."
Gignac, making his first start of the season, broke the deadlock in the 14th minute with a clinical half-volley from the edge of the box after Lens failed to clear a corner.
Lens goalkeeper Hamid Kasraoui initially frustrated OM's attempts to stretch their lead, showing brilliant reflexes to deny Charles Kabore and Ayew either side of half-time before thwarting Gignac with a double save on the hour.
He could do nothing about Marseille's second goal, however, as Ayew left an opponent for dead in midfield before clipping a precise shot into the top-left corner from just outside the area.
Remy made it 3-0 in the 82nd minute, rolling the ball home after Mathieu Valbuena's cross had been flicked into his path by Ayew, before claiming his eighth goal of the season from Valbuena's pullback in the 89th minute.
The round of 16 concludes on Wednesday, when current Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain visit Dijon and Lyon travel to neighbours Saint-Etienne, three days before hosting them in the league.
Source: AFP
