2023-12-15 01:21:31
The hero João Pedro, the defensive shortcomings REUTERS / TOBY MELVILLE / AFP / GLYN KIRK
TOPS/FLOPS – OM fell in the final moments against Brighton (1-0), during the 6th day of the Europa League.
TOPS
João Pedro, the hero of the attacking trio
Author of a formidable goal which allowed Brighton to pocket the victory and first place on the wire (88th), João Pedro was one of the great investigators of victory and domination. He caused a total of four fouls by touching around fifty balls. The Brazilian was at the heart of the offensive collective of the “Seagulls” but especially of the trio which made the Marseille defense dizzy. If João Pedro was so good, it is also because he was helped by the dazzling breakthroughs of Karou Mitoma and Simon Adingra. These two men made multiple incursions into the Marseille area, combining quickly and cleanly with João Pedro in the middle. Moreover, the goal is the perfect illustration of Brighton’s offensive efficiency this Thursday evening since the three nicknamed players are involved in this achievement built in one touch of the ball.
De Zerbi’s tactical touch
He was expected at the turning point as in all major meetings. The offensive philosophy of the Italian tactical genius really hurt the Marseillais. The Seagulls respected their game plan focused on enormous pressing which worried the Phocaeans in this first period. Indeed, the Brighton players pushed the OM defenders into the ropes to recover the ball high and prevent them from building their game. The ball circulated well on the Brighton side thanks in particular to the numerous Marseille ball losses on the outskirts of their surface. Generally speaking, the Seagulls put a lot of intensity, energy and aggression into their collective. The Marseillais had great difficulty containing the numerous incursions of Mitoma, Pedro and Adingra. If Marseille suffered, it was mainly because Brighton played their offensive game.
Read also Europa League: OM fall to Brighton and will have to go through the round of 16
FLOPS
The defensive fragility of OM
Throughout the match, Olympique de Marseille showed real defensive flaws, leaving too much space. The Marseille defenders lacked cohesion and missed many restarts. The Seagulls found themselves easily and quickly to create beautiful combinations in the small perimeters. The defensive curtain was far too crumbly. The perfect illustration comes from the English offensive flanks. Indeed, Pascal Gross had a big impact on Brighton’s left wing. He took advantage of the spaces left by the Marseille defense, and in particular by Jonathan Clauss, to send solid brushed crosses. Often put under pressure, Leonardo Balerdi and Bamo Meïté also took a lot of risks, attempting to dribble into their area, struggling to clear correctly.
Management that questions
So of course, OM were already qualified but the stakes of this match nevertheless remained very important: the race for first place in group B. The two teams were already assured of continuing their European adventure but they encountered the iron for a capital objective. Unlike the Champions League, finishing second is very different from being top of a group. The top eight in the Europa League groups qualify for the round of 16. The runners-up are sent to a play-off, a sort of round of 16, where they will face the third-placed teams in the Champions League, which includes RC Lens. Finishing first meant avoiding an extra lap. In the event of a victory or a draw, the Marseillais could have validated the head of their group. But OM did not seem to be playing to win this evening. They seemed to be looking for a draw by locking down the defense. However, the stakes were really high, these two more matches in the Marseille calendar risk causing pain in the legs.
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