This is called a missed opportunity. Trapped in added time on a long throw-in, Olympique de Marseille was held in check on Saturday, November 29, by Toulouse (2-2). By winning only one point, the Marseillais thus let slip the leadership position which seemed promised to them after the defeat of Paris Saint-Germain in Monaco (1-0), earlier in the day.
Until the last moments, the Marseillais seemed capable, like Tuesday in the Champions League against Newcastle, of achieving victory, despite a match that started poorly for them. It was without this astonishing touch from Mark McKenzie, directly headed by Santiago Hidalgo, the young Argentinian center forward from Toulouse Football Club who offered the equalizing goal to his team (2-2, 90 + 2).
Roberto De Zerbi’s team therefore remains second, one point behind PSG. It is perhaps Lens who will settle on the first step of the podium in the event of success in Angers on Sunday.
Before the events at the end of the match, OM had been successively too passive before the break and much more attractive afterwards. Rhythmic and intense, the start of the match was promising, even if the teams neutralized each other and none managed to create an opportunity.
But the first was good for Toulouse, with a great individual action from Emersonn, who resisted Emerson Palmieri and Nayef Aguerd (twice) to deceive Geronimo Rulli (1-0, 14e). The return of the Moroccan defender was greeted with great relief on Friday by De Zerbi but, at the time, Aguerd did not appear particularly sovereign. This first goal made life easier for Toulouse, who regrouped and then easily repelled the opposing attempts, legible and slow.
Solid Toulouse
The Marseillais only had two semblances of chances, with a shot from Timothy Weah, very far from the target (30e), and a recovery from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang pushed back on his line by Charlie Cresswell, in added time.
Facing Newcastle on Tuesday, OM made their task easier by equalizing straight after the locker room. But this time we had to wait. Toulouse could even have widened the gap on a poorly played counterattack (60e) and on a very nice ball from Aron Donnum on the bar of Rulli (65e).
For their part, OM hit the post with a shot from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg deflected by Rasmus Nicolaisen (52e) and saw Bilal Nadir (59e et 60e) ou Mason Greenwood (63e) chain the attempts. But the choices were not good, the gestures were not fair and Toulouse remained solid.
It’s finally at 66e minute that Marseille achieved everything that had been missed for an hour, with three perfect gestures: Nadir’s opening behind Djibril Sidibé’s back, Igor Paixao’s cross call and the Brazilian’s finish (1-1, 66e). Ten minutes later, Hojbjerg scored with a header from an impeccable long cross from Aubameyang (2-1, 74e). Victory then seemed assured. Until this unexpected touch. The leadership position will wait.
