2024-10-04 23:09:42
The international break comes at the right time for Olympique de Marseille (OM). Or not. Held in check by Angers (1-1), on Friday 4 October evening, during the 7th matchday of Ligue 1, the Marseille team will have two weeks to erase this disappointing performance from their memory or, on the contrary, remedy what didn’t work against red lantern of the championship, who still hasn’t won a single game.
What is certain is that OM, beaten the day before in Strasbourg (1-0), slows down and goes through the first slow period since the arrival of Roberto De Zerbi. Because the Italian coach had asked to get up and demonstrate that the defeat in Alsace was only one “accident on the road”. We also have to deal with Paris Saint-Germain − who will travel to Nice on Sunday − and Monaco − away on Saturday in Rennes −, who are advancing towards the top of the table without looking back.
It’s a failure. Failed like the match delivered by his men on Friday, probably the most miserable of the season. Facing Angers and despite the gloomy atmosphere at the Vélodrome, with two sectors closed by the disciplinary commission of the Professional Football League, Marseille were clear favourites.
Two red cards
De Zerbi had given some innovation with the introductions of Neal Maupay, Valentin Carboni and Ulisses Garcia, but in reality not much happened, or almost nothing, until the 26th minute and the logical expulsion of Angevin Lilian Raolisoa for a big foul about Garcia.
With numerical superiority, OM then thought of finding the missing spaces, but things didn’t go as expected because Maupay was in turn sent off for two yellows received in three minutes.
Michel Platini recently proposed playing ten-a-side matches to make football more attractive and Friday’s match suddenly became an opportunity to test the former legendary Blues attacking midfielder’s proposal. But the experience was not very conclusive. Until the break, OM had the ball for three quarters of the time and increased their shots, but without ever really creating danger.
Up front, Angers immediately began to try to gain time, and it all ended at half-time under a great “bronca” from the crowd which was undoubtedly aimed at everyone, the Angevins, the referee and probably also OM , really average. after his exploit in Lyon.
“Now we have to accept the criticism”
Marseille, however, managed to open the scoring, thanks to Englishman Jonathan Rowe, who scored at a time when Angers continued to crack under pressure (1-0, 51st). But Marseille was unable to maintain the lead for long, and Angers recovered thanks to a nice free kick from Farid El Melali (1-1 54th) after a foul by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who had been less dominant in two games.
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This is also the case for Mason Greenwood, the architect of Marseille’s good start to the season and author of a terrible match on Friday, with an avalanche of bad choices.
Until the end, Marseille continued to push, of course, especially with Adrien Rabiot’s debut at the Vélodrome in an OM shirt. Amir Murillo even thought he had scored, but VAR showed that he had touched the ball with his hand (68th).
In the end, OM let the points slip away and the euphoria that had conquered Marseille after the unlikely success achieved by Lyon (3-2) clearly calmed down. “I accepted the compliments after the good results, now I have to accept the criticisms”declared the handsome player, Roberto De Zerbi. “We must be aware that we are trying to build a great Marseille and that this does not happen suddenly. We have to face matches like the one in Strasbourg and the one tonight.”explained the Marseille coach.
After the truce, the people of Marseille will go to Montpellier to get back on track. Paris Saint-Germain will then come to the Vélodrome, against whom not the slightest deviation will be tolerated.
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