It was a test against the wall, which OM passed with flying colors. In unfavorable ballot since their start of the Champions League campaign, the Marseillais finally managed to stop the bleeding and regain the taste of victory against Sporting Portugal, Tuesday, October 4. A success achieved in style: four goals scored, a feeling of mastery, and a very good reaction after a disastrous start… OM emerged from this opposition with the impression of having finally found themselves.
– Olympique de Marseille (@OM_Officiel) October 4, 2022
The start of the Marseille season has so far looked like a two-part story. On the one hand, a resounding start in Ligue 1, with Marseillais solid second, still undefeated, in the rhythm of the Parisian leader, with 23 points in the bag out of 27 possible, the best start in the league in the history of the club. . On the other, the disappointing outings on the European scene, with two defeats in as many group matches this season. OM dragged a deep malaise in C1, marked by a sad statistic of 16 losses in the last 17 games played in the competition.
But Tuesday evening, on the lawn of the Vélodrome stadium, the Marseillais finally rose to the highest European level. They have regained the speed, physical impact and attacking momentum that make them successful in the league every weekend. “We had an excellent match together, there was good pressing, which allowed us to recover a lot of balls and get a lot of chances”appreciated Matteo Guendouzi at the microphone of Canal + after the final whistle.
After the unfinished performance against Tottenham in London, and the disappointment of the low level displayed against Frankfurt, the wide and frank victory against the Portuguese came to reassure the Olympians. “This victory gives us courage and confidence. She was long overdue”recognized Igor Tudor in a post-match press conference.
Impossible is not from Marseille pic.twitter.com/nLABO6i0VO
— Matteo Guendouzi (@MatteoGuendouzi) October 4, 2022
For the first time in the Champions League, the Olympians shot far more than their opponents (19 shots against six). They were finally able to concretize their control of the ball (60% possession). Several elements of the Marseille eleven took the measure of the event, like Matteo Guendouzi, who was sorely missed against Frankfurt, author Tuesday evening of a recital in the midfield (100% of successful passes).
Marseille satisfaction undoubtedly has a taste of incompleteness, without communion with the supporters. Forced to follow the meeting behind their screens after the closed session pronounced by UEFA in response to the excesses against Frankfurt, they had to follow the awakening of their players from afar. But OM also proved that they could count on their own mind to react. “We had the strength after the conceded goal to react and attack hard as we had planned.underlined the Marseille coach.
The balance sheet is necessarily positive, even if there are still things to improve, such as the offensive alignment (Igor Tudor’s men were reported eleven times in an offside position on Tuesday evening). The Marseillais also benefited from game facts in their favor, such as the collapse of the opposing goalkeeper, which they were able to take advantage of. The best way to prove that it is not just an improvement? Confirm next week in Lisbon, for the revenge at Sporting.