Marseille beats Rennes 1-0 in Sampaoli’s 1st game in charge

<p>MARSEILLE, France &mdash; Jorge Sampaoli marked his first match in charge of Marseille with a 1-0 home win against Rennes on Wednesday thanks to substitute Michael Cuisance’s late header.</p>
<p>The midfielder had only been on for a few minutes when he rose to meet Luis Henrique’s cross from the left, and his header looped over goalkeeper Alfred Gomis in the 87th minute.</p>
<p>The win snapped Marseille’s four-game losing run and moved it up to sixth place, while Rennes has lost six straight games and is mired in 10th spot.</p>
<p>Winger Florian Thauvin went close for Marseille early in the second half when his curling shot went just past the post, and Rennes winger hit the crossbar in the 75th.</p>
<p>The game was rescheduled after being postponed on Jan. 30, when angry Marseille fans stormed the training complex in a bid to pressure the club’s unpopular president to leave. </p>
<p>He has done so and, after former coach Andre Villas-Boas resigned, the club hired Sampaoli to replace him. </p>
<p>Rennes coach Bruno Genesio also led his team for the first time following Julien Stephan’s recent resignation.</p>
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