This time, Marseille did not have the flame. Outclassed by Atalanta (3-0), OM saw their European epic come to a sudden end in the Europa League semi-final on Thursday evening. Ademola Lookman (30th), Matteo Ruggeri (52nd), El-Bilal Touré (90th + 4) destroyed Marseille’s hopes of playing in the final in Dublin, after the first-leg draw at the Vélodrome (1-1). But even before these goals, it’s as if these Marseillais had never given themselves the means to believe in qualification.
On the brink of the precipice in the round of 16 against Villarreal, saved on the gong against Benfica in the quarters, OM could not escape miraculously each time. In Bergamo, he was caught up sharply by his limitations. And there are many: clumsy and without ideas with the ball, they trembled each time they lost the ball. Rather physically fresh on the way out, this time they imploded in front of the Bergamo dry cleaners.
“We are disgusted, very sad,” reacted OM’s Argentinian defender Leonardo Balerdi on Canal +. We wanted to give a gift to our supporters. We have to try to finish the season well in the league and give a little more next season. We gave everything but it’s not enough. We must do more. »
OM played at their level
To tell the truth – and this is undoubtedly the cruelest part – OM have played at the level most often displayed this season. If he knew how to transcend himself at times in this European epic, he is not ninth in Ligue 1 for nothing. The novelty of the evening, however, lies in the offensive apathy of Marseillais, unable to score the slightest shot before the 81st minute. For only slight shivers, we will remember a completely missed lob by Illiman Ndiaye in an ideal position (50th) or a distant free kick from Jordan Veretout on the bar (62nd), without us knowing if the midfielder was really trying to strike .
Conversely, Atalanta multiplied the goal situations, helped by a disoriented Marseille rearguard, where the pistons Quentin Merlin and Jonathan Clauss were overwhelmed on all sides and the central Leonardo Balerdi constantly played under panic . The Dea could also have folded the matter earlier, if Charles de Ketelaere (6th) and Gianluca Scamacca (23rd) had not knocked on wood. If we add two other clear chances for the Italian striker (16th) and the Belgian midfielder (35th), OM were not unhappy to return to the locker room with a one-goal deficit, even if this meager advantage seemed difficult to surmount.
First European final for Atalanta
Already affected by Lookman’s goal on a blocked shot, they definitively gave up on Ruggeri’s brilliant strike, who crossed from his left wing to nestle a clear shot into the opposite corner. The final goal of the ex-Rémois Touré closed the show, while OM had long since mourned their ambitions and fireworks were already bursting in the sky over Bergamo.
One of the eight shots on target for an Atalanta that was much too strong, better prepared and who really played in a European Cup semi-final. She will find Bayer Leverkusen, once again from hell to eliminate AS Roma (2-0, 2-2) and undefeated this season. Given the glaring limitations of OM and the dazzling form of Bayer, we dare not imagine what a final would have resulted in to which the Marseillais were not invited anyway.
