Paulo Fonseca makes the right changes to help Lille beat Marseille

P aulo Fonseca pulled off another minor miracle on Saturday night as he guided Lille to a 2-1 win over Marseille. Lille were an attacking juggernaut earlier this season, playing on the front foot, but lately they have also shown how sharp they are defensively. The improvement at the back is helping them in their bid to play European football next season.

Admittedly, they have also turned in some scarcely believable results, losing to bottom-of-the-table Angers and dropping points against Reims and Auxerre in recent weeks. After these disappointing performances, their hold on fifth place had become weaker given the form of Rennes and Lyon. Indeed, Rennes beat Ajaccio 5-0 at the weekend and would have overtaken Lille in the table but for the win against Marseille.

It was a tough assignment for Lille. Marseille have been one of the league’s best teams on their travels and Fonseca was missing central defenders José Fonte and Alexsandro through suspension – as well as Tiago Djaló, who suffered a season-ending injury in March. Fonseca picked an unlikely team. With Timothy Weah playing as a makeshift full-back, and Bafodé Diakité, usually a right-back, partnering 17-year-old Leny Yoro at the centre of defence, the hosts looked vulnerable, even if they had been on a 14-match unbeaten run at home. To make up for his callow, rejigged defence, Fonseca moved away from his usual 4-2-3-1. He dropped Rémy Cabella and Angel Gomes, his two most creative players, and brought in the little-used Jonas Martin and Carlos Baleba.

Baleba is a bright prospect but he had not started a match since early February. And Martin, despite being a seasoned veteran, had played just four minutes in the last three months. Fonseca’s selections seemed