The opposition was already in everyone’s mind. From the final whistle of the defeat against Eintracht Frankfurt (1-2 in Germany), Wednesday October 26, the Olympians projected themselves towards their last group match, to the tunes of the final. Against Tottenham on Tuesday November 1, Igor Tudor’s men will play their ticket to the knockout stages of the Champions League.
To reach the final phase of C1 for the first time since 2012, a small eternity, the Marseillais even still have their destiny in their hands. In the event of victory at the Velodrome against Spurs, they would secure one of the first two directly qualifying places. “We know that everything is still possible, that everything remains to be done, that everything can still happen next week”commented Jonathan Clauss at the microphone of RMC Sport after the meeting.
All to play for in Group D…#UCL pic.twitter.com/7pliyHEcPU
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) October 26, 2022
A situation made possible thanks to a totally open group D, the only one in which no team has yet qualified at the end of the fifth day, everyone standing in just two points. OM’s evening opponents are also preparing for a decisive opposition against Sporting Portugal. “TO Lisbon, we will play to go even further. The finals, we know that”Eintracht goalkeeper Kevin Trapp assured DAZN after the match. “We will need a victory in Lisbon to have a future in C1”supported his coach, Oliver Glasner.
With qualification in sight, the Marseillais have identified the errors to be erased to put the odds on their side. “We concede two goals, even if we manage to come back to the score, these are the details that make us lose tonight”regretted Amine Harit on Canal+ just after the final whistle. “VSIt was a good game for OM, but not enough to win”explained for his part Igor Tudor, the Marseille coach. More efficiency, more defensive rigor, a better mental start… “We will have to play a perfect match against Tottenham”summarized jonathan Clauss.
“We have to stay optimistic, we have no choice. Everything is still possible. We’ll have to play a perfect match against Tottenham.”
The reaction of Jonathan Clauss after the defeat of OM against Eintracht Frankfurt (1-2) in the Champions League. #RMCChampions pic.twitter.com/k1dHUt7Rto
– RMC Sport (@RMCsport) October 26, 2022
The prospect of this decisive meeting already excites Igor Tudor, the Marseille coach. “Now we have this final in six days”he said at a press conference. “We can’t wait, it’s going to be the game of the year. The guys deserve to play these kinds of games“, he added, before putting the evening’s result into perspective: “We don’t like to lose but the players deserve to have this final at home.”
At the beginning of September, during the first day, the clash on the field of Tottenham had launched the European campaign of OM on a great disappointment. Authors of an excellent first half, the Olympians had cracked after the exclusion of Chancel Mbemba (2-0). Two months later, they have the opportunity to take their revenge, and to continue the great adventure.