Marseille manage win over Rennes without Bafetimbi Gomis

Marseille showed they can cope without top scorer Bafetimbi Gomis by beating Rennes 2-0 at home in Ligue 1 on Saturday, a win that maintains their push for a top-four finish and place in the Europa League next season.

Gomis has been Marseille's best player this season, scoring 16 league goals, but he picked up a knee injury last weekend and is expected to be out for up to six weeks.

In his absence, wingers Clinton N'Jie and Florian Thauvin grabbed second-half goals as Marseille moved level on points with fifth-place Saint-Etienne and one point behind fourth-place Lyon. They are both playing on Sunday.

France playmaker Dimitri Payet went close three times -- hitting the crossbar with a rasping shot -- before starting the move that led to N'Jie's goal in the second half.

Five minutes later, Thauvin scored a powerful swerving shot into the top corner from 20 yards after running onto a neat back heel from midfielder Morgan Sanson.

Inconsistent Marseille have won their past three home games but lost their last three away.

Next up is a home game next Sunday against bitter rivals Paris Saint-Germain -- a must-win game in the eyes of the passionate Marseille fans at Stade Velodrome.