Moumbagna, Henrique, Lopez… The three unexpected heroes of OM’s qualification

While Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was, for once, silent, it was three unloved players who sent OM into the Europa League semi-final on Thursday against Benfica.

On the eve of the Europa League quarter-final second leg against Benfica, Jean-Louis Gasset warned: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang cannot do everything at OM. “Pierre often scores, but the others have the role of helping us as soon as possible. Whether it’s Moumbagna, Ndiaye… People have to take over and we don’t always have the same player for us get out of the rut”. Words which were heard by the players, with unexpected heroes during this victorious quarter-final return, who made us forget the absences of weight (Clauss, Merlin, Rongier…).

It was necessary because, for once, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (10 goals in 10 C3 matches) left his hero costume by signing an assist for Faris Moumbagna. Author of the winning shot on goal, the Brazilian Luis Henrique will also remain in Marseille’s hearts, just like Pau Lopez, impassable in the game, then a major player in the penalty shootout.

Faris Moumbagna: a goal to get back on track

When Faris Moumbagna took off his bib to enter the pitch, at the hour mark, it is an understatement to say that the Vélodrome was not really excited. “In the second half, we had to take risks to score.”, justified Jean-Louis Gasset after the meeting, without this being necessary because, in the meantime, events had proven the Marseille coach right. At the forefront of the attack, Faris Moumbagna rocked this quarter-final second leg.

Arrived this winter at OM from Bodo Glimt (Norway), the Cameroonian is the antithesis of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang: a fixation point difficult to move, poison in duels whose power wreaks havoc and opens gaps for his teammates. This physical dejection sometimes excuses him for his lack of efficiency, he who had until then only scored two goals in 11 matches with OM.

By opening the score at the end of the match, and therefore sending his team into overtime, Faris Moumbagna chose the best moment to improve his ratio. With a level of sympathy inversely proportional to that of his predecessor – the Portuguese Vitinha, sent on loan to Genoa in January – the Cameroonian reminded that he was more than a mover by subtly sliding the ball between the legs of Anatoliy Troubine. His third goal of the season, which the Phocaeans will remember for a long time.

Luis Henrique: from outcast to hero

He also came on at the hour mark, and he too did not really receive a standing ovation from the Vélodrome. However, Luis Henrique is indeed the player who symbolizes this double confrontation between OM and Benfica.

Because, before being the author of the decisive shot on goal, the Brazilian delivered another full performance, after having already helped out on the first leg as a left side, then a right side, he the trained winger.

“I’m happy for him, because I carry him around at right rear, left rear, he’s my Swiss army knife. It’s true that he’s criticized, but he’s a good kid.”

Jean-Louis Gasset, OM coach

at a press conference

And to think that Luis Henrique, returning from loan from Brazil in January, should not even have stayed at OM. Without Gennaro Gattuso, the winger, so often clumsy, would not have been selected for this second part of the season. From there to imagine him the hero of a European quarter-final…

“Wednesday, we took a series of penalties at the end of training, I saw those who were cold in the exercisespecified Jean-Louis Gasset. Shooting after 120 minutes is complicated. When we designated the five shooters, the players with confidence stepped forward, Luis was in the first five to position himself.. Placed fourth in the hierarchy, the Brazilian did not fail. And perhaps finally launched his story with OM.

The impassable Pau Lopez

Often criticized, particularly for his lack of efficiency on the line, Pau Lopez is one of those who are quickly pointed out in Marseille, as soon as the ship rocks. Even if the Spaniard was often one of the few to go to the front, as Jean-Louis Gasset recalled: “He’s one of the leaders of the group. He’s in the 3-4 with whom I speak a lot. He was frustrated with his last matches. He was conceding goals from deep crosses, he couldn’t do anything. Today , he was decisive, he deserves it.”

Exemplary in attitude, Pau Lopez surely delivered his best performance in the Marseille jersey, two and a half years after his arrival. Shortly before the opening score, he saved OM against Rafa Silva and Angel Di Maria (73rd), before standing again against the Argentinian (98th), then in front of Marcos Leonardo (108th) .

The following ? A perfectly controlled penalty shootout: on his four dives, the Spaniard always jumped on the right side, while carefully destabilizing his opponents. Logically, he ended up releasing the fourth attempt, signed Antonio Silva. A save celebrated as a winning goal by the Vélodrome.

A top-flight performance which may even make OM feel some regrets. The Olympians were left with a penalty shootout lost against Panathinaikos in August. That day, Pau Lopez was taken out by Marcelino just before the session, replaced by Ruben Blanco, who conceded all five shots on goal.