Guingamp, France – Dimitri Payet bagged a pair of first-half goals in his Marseille debut as Les Phoceens hammered Ligue 1 newcomers Guingamp, 3-1, on Sunday at the Stade du Roudourou.
Guingamp played in its first top-flight match in nine seasons and it showed as the home side fell behind just three minutes into the game.
Following a turnover in midfield, a well-placed ball from Mathieu Valbuena released Andre Ayew down the left wing and he ripped a shot on target that was stopped by Guingamp goalkeeper Mamadou Samassa, but he left a big rebound and Andre-Pierre Gignac was there to smash it home.
It was 2-0 for the visitors just moments later when a low cross from the left wing worked its way through the legs of several Guingamp defenders and right to the feet of Payet, who hammered it into the roof of the net for his first goal in a Marseille kit.
Marseille capped a remarkable first quarter-hour when Valbuena got free for a shot on goal that was parried away, but Payet was there to put home his second goal of the match.
The hosts had a prime opportunity to score their first Ligue 1 goal in the 51st minute when Marseille's Souleymane Diawara brought down Steeven Langil in the box which resulted in a penalty kick, but Mustapha Yatabare's shot was stopped by Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandanda.
Yatabare made good on his earlier miss when he scored in the 74th minute, but it wasn't enough as Marseille held on to take three points.
Elsewhere in Ligue 1 on Sunday, Brandao scored in the 34th minute to lift St. Etienne to a 1-0 win over 10-man Ajaccio.
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