Two games from the end of a trying 2023-24 season, this OM remains illegible. Sometimes dazzling in the Europa League (4-0 against Villarreal), he was apathetic in Bergamo (0-3) in the semi-final return last Thursday. “Tigers at the Vélodrome but cats on the outside”, according to the expression established by their guide Jean-Louis Gasset, the Marseillais have two matches to change their season, Wednesday evening in Reims then Sunday in Le Havre. Nothing insurmountable a priori, but a mountain given the state of the troops: in four days OM will have to win away from home, as many times as they have done in nine months of competition.
The worst team in Ligue 1 outside its bases still has its destiny in hand to finish in Europe, and this is another paradox in this atypical season. Its eighth place thus constitutes a sham, because if Marseille wins in Reims, it will steal, on goal difference, sixth place from Lens on goal difference (+ 11 at the moment T against + 8). And, barring a card from the Artésiens during the last day against Montpellier to make up this deficit, a simple victory on Sunday against Le Havre who are 99% maintained will propel OM into Europe.
To finally wake up his “cats”, Gasset has turned habits upside down. The group thus landed in Reims on Tuesday evening, in a sort of greenery which does not say its name. With, on Wednesday morning, an individual discussion with all the players “to assess their physical and mental condition”. “If some people don’t feel concerned, I won’t play them,” added the 70-year-old coach.
Aubameyang uncertain
For this 22nd match played in the week (out of 52), Gasset could do without his major weapon, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Scorer 29 times this season, the Gabonese has suffered from “stomach problems” since the return match in Bergamo. This did not prevent him from playing 90 minutes and scoring twice on Sunday against Lorient (3-1), even if the ex-Stéphanois missed training on Tuesday. “We are in the process of loading him with medication to stop all this,” admitted the coach.
Aubameyang has, until now, not missed a single match in L 1 and is involved in half of his team’s goals. “We will do everything so that he beats Drogba’s record,” whispered Luiz Henrique. He is still three goals short of reaching the Ivorian’s mark, OM’s top scorer in one season in 2003-04. “But the team’s objective remains to finish 6th,” said the Brazilian Swiss army knife. Currently qualifying for the Europa Conference League, this sixth place could deliver a ticket for the Europa League if PSG beats Lyon in the Cup final on May 25.
This therefore involves, before looking ahead to the last day, a victory in Reims, where Marseille remains on three victories. Without a victory for two months, the Champenois (11th) are led by interim Samba Diawara after the hasty departure of Will Still on May 2. “But it’s not going to be fun, the stadium is going to be packed,” warns Gasset. And they drew in Brest (Friday). » And the former assistant of Laurent Blanc concluded: “If we are European and having made a semi-final of the European Cup, I will be able to leave with a clear conscience”. Given the state of OM at the start of its mission, this would seem like a lesser evil.
