A forceps victory in an unbreathable atmosphere. Marseille took the best of PAOK Salonika (2-1) in the quarter-final first leg of the Europa League conference on Thursday April 7 at the Vélodrome. Authors of a solid first period, at the end of which they had made the break thanks to two goals from Gerson (13th) and a jewel of volley from Dimitri Payet (45th), Jorge Sampaoli’s men had more trouble returning from the locker room.
They had to fight to maintain their lead in a tense end to the game, which notably saw the exclusion of Gerson in added time. With this narrow victory against the best attack in Greece, the Marseillais take a small option for qualification in the last four, before a return match which promises to be just as hot next week in Thessaloniki.
In the stands, the match was already well underway when the 22 players entered the field. While the last few hours have been marked by several clashes between supporters of the two clubs, the Vélodrome experienced a tense pre-match, with firecrackers and smoke bombs which for a moment raised fears of a postponement of the kick-off.
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At the heart of this incandescent atmosphere, the Marseillais were not impressed. Jorge Sampaoli’s men quickly took control of the match, resisting the high pressing of the Greeks. Gerson was quick to find the fault (13th) on a subtle sequence of chest control-recovery from the outside, after being served by Dimitri Payet.
The leader from Reunion shone on the lawn of the Vélodrome and not only through the pass. It was he who doubled the bet just before half-time with a sumptuous half-volley part to curl up in the right corner of Paschalakis (45th). With two goals for five shots, OM finally seemed to have found the efficiency that had eluded them since the start of the knockout phase.
. @dimpayet17 MONUMENTAL
A crazy volley sets the Velodrome on fire and it’s 2⃣-0⃣ for the@OM_Official ! ⚪️#OMPAOK | #UECL ▶️: https://t.co/zCpw9j88r0 pic.twitter.com/J4MOx5mlJV
– Canal Football Club (@CanalFootClub) April 7, 2022
But the Marseillais did not completely chase their old demons, and they were picked on returning from the locker room. On a PAOK offensive, incoming Omar El Kaddouri deceived Mandanda in the area, and restarted the game (48th). Cheered up, Razvan Lucescu’s players set off to attack OM’s goal.
Despite everything, Dimitri Payet continued to be restless and to carry his own, multiplying defensive returns, and distributing the game forward. Not enough to get a third goal in a tense end to the match, marked by throwing projectiles on the corner shots, and the exclusion of Gerson at the very end of the match (90 + 4th) for a foul on a against opponent. Automatically suspended, he will not be traveling to Greece, just like Boubacar Kamara, who pays an accumulation of yellow cards. Two weight players less for a fight that promises to be tough.
The other matches of the evening did not give any clue concerning the potential opponent of OM in the event of qualification for the next round. Feyenoord and Slavia Prague were neutralized after a meeting rich in goals (3-3). Elsewhere, PSV Eindhoven held off Leicester at the King Power Stadium (0-0), while Bodø/Glimt brought down José Mourinho’s Roma (2-1).