For Jean-Louis Gasset’s first match on the Marseille bench, OM put an end to weeks of depression and negative results on Thursday by beating Shakhtar Donetsk 3-1 at the Vélodrome and thus qualified for the 8th of Europa League final. Marseille thus avoids a complete fiasco for French clubs after the failures a little earlier by Lens, Rennes and Toulouse.
Published on: 02/22/2024 – 23:38
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Marseille saved the honor of the French clubs involved in the Europa League play-offs by eliminating Shakhtar Donetsk (3-1) on Thursday February 22, after the successive failures a little earlier by Lens, Rennes and Toulouse.
The complete fiasco in this C3 was avoided thanks to the Marseille team and its new coach Jean-Louis Gasset, qualified for the round of 16. Trailing 1-0, OM turned the match around with goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (23rd), Ismaila Sarr (74th) and Geoffrey Kondogbia (81st).
The success of the Olympians comes two days after the appointment of Jean-Louis Gasset as new coach, in place of the Italian Gennaro Gattuso.
Failures of Lens, Rennes and Toulouse
Earlier, RC Lens fought well but were eliminated on the field of the Germans of Fribourg, winners 3 goals to 2 after extra time. After a 0-0 draw in the first leg, the Northerners led 2-1 and resisted the German fury until Roland Sallai’s equalizer (90th + 3), which followed two Lensois goals from David Pereira Da Costa (28th) and Elye Wahi (45 + 2). Sallai (68th) had already reduced the score for Fribourg, qualified with a final goal from Michael Gregoritsch (99th).
In Rennes, despite constant risk-taking and with a hat-trick from Benjamin Bourigeaud, Rennes dreamed against AC Milan (3-2), but the experienced Italians passed the Breton obstacle. Beaten 3-0 in the first leg, Rennes led three times thanks to Bourigeaud who opened the scoring in the 11th minute, before converting two penalties in the second half (2-1, 54th, and 3-2, 68th). ), but they conceded two avoidable goals from Luka Jovic (1-1, 22nd) and Rafael Leao (2-2, 58th).
Toulouse, finally, winner of the last Coupe de France, could do nothing against Benfica Lisbon (0-0) who won 2-1 in the first leg in Portugal with two penalties from the Argentinian world champion and former PSG Angel Di Maria, still starting Thursday at the Stadium.
The draw for the round of 16 will take place on Friday in Nyon (Switzerland).
With AFP
