Marseille – Danger for Gerson and Dimitri Payet? How Alexis Sanchez will play at OM

In Milan, he had suffered several muscle injuries. In the league, for reasons that have sometimes gone beyond his simple physical condition, El Niño Maravilla has not exceeded 1,200 minutes played (around 30 minutes per game on average) since the 2017/2018 season, his last with Arsenal. Difficult, all the same, to imagine Igor Tudor without the experience of the Chilean during major meetings, as well as in the Champions League.

Seven players for three positions

On his own, the former Inter player played more than a third of the number of matches played in C1 by the Marseille workforce. Throughout the season, he will play the competitive game, despite a salary that makes him one of the five highest paid players in the locker room. “I love competitioninsisted Sanchez. I think it improves the team. The important thing is that we all row in the same direction so that our team is the best possible.”

Pablo Longoria built his squad based on the principle that each position should be doubled to perform well in all competitions, and thus contain the core of 22 elements. Paradoxically, Alexis Sanchez strengthens a sector particularly supplied in quantity… but also in quality. Especially since in his 3-4-3 scheme with two real pistons, Igor Tudor considers Gerson and Dimitri Payet as attackers.

Sanchez can play anywhere

Sanchez, he has a quality that all the other Olympian strikers do not have: he can evolve and be competitive in all three positions. At Udinese, he started on the right wing. But he had revealed himself in a two-man attack, under Francesco Guidolin, and alongside local idol Antonio Di Natale. These two had notably scored seven goals (four for the Chilean) in Palermo, in 2011 …

At Barça, he evolved at the forefront. And in England he most often played on the left wing. “I have always adapted during my career, playing nine, on the right, on the left, or with two players in front and me behind…recalled the Chilean. I have accumulated a lot of experience.” Now less comfortable on the right, since he no longer has the same speed of execution to make differences with the ball at his feet, Sanchez should aim for the toe or the left side, depending on the style of the opponents of the OM.

He would thus relegate Arkadiusz Milik to the bench to bring more depth and above all to harass the very high opposing block. On the left, he would represent a danger in the half-space, on his right foot, with the support of the piston and that of the tip. For Gerson, a little lost in this role in preparation and against Reims last weekend, he is a threat. But he will also make the situation of Dimitri Payet, relegated to the bench in the opening match and also more comfortable on the left or behind two attackers, even more complex.