frustrated against Atalanta but invigorated by their performance, OM proved that they had the makings of a finalist

Authors of a successful performance on all levels of the game, the Marseillais emerged frustrated from their semi-final first leg of the Europa League on Thursday, but can approach the return to the pitch of Atalanta Bergamo with ambition.

To take away Jean-Louis Gasset’s smile, you have to get up early. Even after a frustrating draw at home, the Olympique de Marseille coach exercises his zygomatic muscles in front of the microphones. However, at the end of the Europa League semi-final first leg, Thursday May 2 against Atalanta Bergamo (1-1), the Marseille coach was not satisfied. On the contrary, he kept “un little bitter taste” in mouth, “aware of having played the right match against a good team but the details were against us.”

These details which prevented OM from winning against Atalanta Bergamo included a hit on the bar and a goal disallowed for offside. Two situations which deprived OM of the perfect evening. “Dn the locker room, some players had their heads down because of not having won. I told them that we were at half-time of this semi-final, that we had a good week to prepare for the returnreassured Jean-Louis Gasset. We saw this evening what had to be done, we will have to go and do it outside.”

Atalanta tamed

To secure their ticket for the Europa League final, OM will indeed be able to rely on their second period, which is even more successful than the first. “In the first half, we had their mark in our backs. It’s difficult in these conditions. We overused the high ball a little. At half time I said relax, trust yourself.”argued Jean-Louis Gasset, to justify the change in the face of his team, much more serene and dangerous in the second half.

“We looked this Atalanta team in the eyes”for his part savored Amine Harit, at the microphone of Canal+. “We had a plan, we knew how to press them. We should have kept the ball a little more, at one point we fell into what they like, long games with duels, but despite everything I think that we had a very nice meeting”. An observation shared by Gian Piero Gasperini, the tactical brain of Atalanta Bergamo.

In the corridors of the Vélodrome, the Italian coach never stopped highlighting the performance of the Marseillais: “It wasn’t easy to score against Marseille, who defended very well. We didn’t have continuity in our game, while Marseille played with great rhythm, with a lot of speed. It’s not easy, they are much more physical than the Italian teams”.

Gasperini impressed by the Vélodrome

And the Italian technician recalled that “only PSG have won here this season, so for us, it’s incredible not to lose here. To draw here is strong, because Marseille are very strong in front of their home crowd.” Incandescent even before the start of the warm-ups, the Vélodrome has indeed donned its twelfth man costume to perfection, accompanying each action with its songs and encouragement.

“They are the ones who give us that extra soul, the confidence, they are the ones who practically equalize. This stadium is magical,” greeted Jean-Louis Gasset, whose eyes light up every time he talks about his audience. “This stadium is incredible, in the atmosphere and the architecture. It’s very noisy. It gave a lot of energy to OM. We suffered, a lot. It wasn’t easy to play here”for his part admitted Gian Piero Gasperini.

Pproblem: the Marseillais will not be able to rely on this strong point during the return match, in Bergamo, with only 700 places allocated to Marseille supporters, because of a small enclosure and under construction (capacity of approximately 15,000 spectators). Nothing to discourage Chancel Mbemba, author of the equalizer on Thursday and already looking towards the return to Lombardy: “We’re going to go to war there to get the final.”.

To do this, the Marseillais only have to add the same ingredients as on the first leg, sprinkling everything with a zest of efficiency in front of goal. What the Olympian chef, Jean-Louis Gasset, summed up as follows before leaving the Vélodrome on Thursday: “He We will have to maintain the defensive aspect, because we defended very well. And better negotiate counter balls. We’ll have to make the perfect match there.”