Bayer Leverkusen entered Thursday’s Europa League matchday four clash with Olympique Marseille unbeaten in three European matches and without a single goal conceded, while Marseille arrived at the BayArena having lost all three of its opening league-phase games. Both streaks ended in a 0-1 defeat for the hosts, decided by a solo goal from Amine Gouiri in the 77th minute, sportschau.de reported.
The result leaves Leverkusen with nine points and seventh place in the Europa League table, while Marseille collects its first three points of the competition and climbs to 31st, according to sportschau.de.
One Goal Decided a Sparse Match
The decisive moment came in the 77th minute, when Marseille’s Gouiri beat defender Arthur on the right side near the halfway line, cut inside against Edmond Tapsoba and fired a 16-meter shot into the far corner that goalkeeper Mark Flekken had no chance to stop, sportschau.de reported. UEFA described the goal as coming “after a spectacular solo run.”
Our first defeat in the Europa League. #B04OM pic.twitter.com/Es9zz6FF5c
Leverkusen nearly equalized almost immediately, but Tapsoba’s header from a corner narrowly missed the right post, sportschau.de reported. UEFA added that Patrik Schick had a chance to equalize in stoppage time but his header was saved by Marseille goalkeeper Jeffrey de Lange.
Early Chances Went Begging on Both Sides
Marseille should have taken the lead after just six minutes, when Gouiri controlled a long ball with his back to goal, played it elegantly through the legs of Jarell Quansah and set Quansah up one-on-one against Flekken, who saved, sportschau.de reported. Express noted the same chance, attributing it to Tapsoba being caught too far up the pitch, and said Flekken “saved in the nick of time with his outstretched leg.”
Leverkusen’s best first-half opportunity came in the 42nd minute, when a deflected shot from Miguel Gutiérrez struck the crossbar, sportschau.de reported. Quansah then fired narrowly wide from 15 meters in first-half stoppage time. In the second half, Schick’s first shot of the match in the 54th minute sailed over the bar off his knee, and Marseille answered with efforts from Igor Paixao from 18 meters, a second Gouiri attempt saved by Flekken in the 57th minute and a long-range shot from Geoffrey Kondogbia in the 64th, all according to sportschau.de.
Leverkusen’s Squad Faces Deep Injuries
The defeat extends a poor run for Leverkusen, which has now lost three of its last four competitive matches after consecutive Bundesliga defeats, Express reported. The club’s heavy rotation in recent international weeks is no longer possible, Express noted, with only five professional outfield players on the bench Thursday. Six players were injured — Guéla Doué, Nathan Tella, Martin Terrier, Moussa Diaby, Eliesse Ben Seghir and Christian Kofane — while Kennet Eichhorn was in rehab and Victor Boniface was not in the Europa League squad, according to Express.
What Comes Next for Both Clubs
Leverkusen’s next match is the Rhine derby away to 1. FC Köln on Sunday at 15:30 local time, with its next Europa League fixture at Dinamo Zagreb on November 26 at 18:45, sportschau.de reported. Marseille visits RC Lens on Sunday at 20:45 and hosts Levski Sofia in the Europa League on November 26 at 18:45.
Flekken acknowledged the added weight of the derby, saying it “brings a certain extra with it, and we know that. Leverkusen won 2-1 in Cologne last season; Flekken added that he was not there but had watched it.”
