Olympique de Marseille were scared, beaten 3-1 on the Villarreal pitch on Thursday evening, but, on the strength of their first-leg victory at the Vélodrome (4-0), still qualified for the Europa League quarter-finals.
Published on: 03/14/2024 – 9:15 p.m. Modified on: 03/14/2024 – 9:55 p.m.
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Olympique de Marseille has experienced many disappointments this season but, on Thursday March 14, it came very close to the biggest of all, avoiding in the final moments an improbable “comeback” on the lawn of Villarreal, winner 3-1 after the 4-0 in the first leg, which qualified OM for the quarter-finals of the Europa League.
The deliverance arrived at the end of added time, when French international Jonathan Clauss finished off a superb piece of work from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (3-1, 90+4). Over in Marseille, on the other side of the Mediterranean, an entire city must have blown very hard. Of relief, of course, but also to relieve fear and anger.
The Stade de la Céramique, for its part, stood up and applauded its players, infinitely better than on the first leg and coming very close to the impossible feat, that of a “comeback”, which only arrived ‘only once in the history of European football after a 4-0 first leg.
It was PSG who suffered an unforgettable affront, against Barcelona, and this memory of 2017 remains in Marseille the surest way to make lasting fun of the capital club.
Marseillais Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (d) facing Villarreal defender Yerson Mosquera, March 14, 2024 in Villarreal © Jose Jordan / AFP
OM, therefore, had a narrow escape, although at first, we might have thought that the Spaniards themselves did not really believe in it. The stadium was half empty, goalkeeper Pepe Reina had withdrawn at the last minute, the conditions did not seem to be right.
Remarkable hood
But OM very quickly gave the Yellows some reasons for hope. Jean-Louis Gasset had chosen a reasonable turnover, with Aubameyang and Amine Harit on the bench, as well as a reinforced defense, with five elements.
But his players seemed to take the problem in reverse with a first period very far from the standards of commitment required and promised, as well as a multitude of bad choices on the rare occasions when they had the ball at their feet in a good position.
Marcelino’s men gradually settled into the opposing camp and proved dangerous on several occasions: twice for Alexander Sorloth (9th and 17th) and once with the former Parisian Gonçalo Guedes (14th).
Villarreal’s Frenchman Etienne Capoue scores against OM, March 14, 2024 in Villarreal © Jose Jordan / AFP
But it was ultimately a Frenchman, Etienne Capoue, brilliant throughout the match, who was the first to find the opening, with a header, after a very good collective action from the Spaniards (1-0, 32nd).
Without yet being in panic, the Marseillais were then logically punished for their passivity and Capoue was not far from the double just after (36th).
At the break, Harit and Aubameyang came on to pose a more convincing threat and the duo immediately got into action. But on a serve from the Moroccan, Aubameyang missed the opportunity in the 48th minute which could undoubtedly have definitively ended the suspense.
First defeat of the Gasset era
Instead, Villarreal attacked again and Sorloth doubled the lead in the 55th minute after another classy action from Guedes and an endless check of his position with the VAR.
At that moment, fear was firmly established in the Marseille camp. Leonardo Balerdi may have put his fingers to his temples to encourage his teammates to keep a cool head, but every ball was painful, in the atmosphere of a wild arena.
OM coach Jean-Louis Gasset during the match at Villarreal, March 14, 2024 © JOSE JORDAN / AFP
With a reflex save, Pau Lopez avoided the 3-0 on a header from Gerard Moreno (72nd) but he could do nothing on that of Yerson Mosquera, who made the unimaginable very plausible in the 85th minute ( 3-0).
Aubameyang and Clauss ended up saving OM, but this setback in Spain, the first suffered by Gasset after five victories in five matches, could leave some traces. He reveals that the fragility of OM did not suddenly disappear in a month and Rennes, Sunday in L1, could remember this.
But in the meantime, Marseille can watch the draw for the quarter-finals of the Europa League on Friday. His European dream survived, but only just.
With AFP
