Marseille coach Didier Deschamps may have been underwhelmed with the performance but he was quick to admit qualification for the last eight of the Coupe de la Ligue was the only thing that mattered after their 1-0 win at Guingamp last night.

Andre Ayew's 42nd-minute goal settled a tight encounter with the hosts, who play in the third tier, holding their own for long periods at the Stade du Roudourou. When asked what had pleased him most from the evening, Deschamps replied: "Qualification. We came for that and achieved it. I expected a tough match and it was very difficult at times."

Deschamps conceded it was always difficult when a big-name team visited a lower-ranked side. He added: "It is always the same situation when you meet a team that operates one or two levels lower. They are ready to exploit any weakness. The team that on paper is higher struggles to find motivation and aggression. We tried hard but struggled to get going. We must give more."

Deschamps made several changes last night and was pleased some of his fringe players got some valuable game time. "I had three objectives for tonight: to qualify, to get some players back and not to lose. And although we had one or two minor injuries, the three were virtually completed."