After the last seven tense days, speeches from the executives of the Marseille workforce and a Jorge Sampaoli who expected much more from his players, we do not know if the situation is much more reassuring for the Olympique de Marseille on Thursday 24 February. The Phocaeans have well validated their qualification for the knockout stages of the Europa League Conference by winning with a wide score on the lawn of Qarabag (0-3), a week after their victory in the first leg (3-1) , but they did not convince. Far from there.
In the Tofiq Bahramov stadium in Baku, where 155 Marseille supporters had made the (long) trip for this meeting, the players of Sampaoli did not exist offensively. The score is misleading, because OM scored on almost every one of their chances. We will have to remember the inspiration of Dimitri Payet for Pape Gueye, author of his first goal of the season from a tight angle (12th) and that of Mattéo Guendouzi on a long shot for the second goal (76th). Facing less enterprising Azeris in the last quarter of an hour, Konrad de la Fuente added a goal in the last moments of the match (90 + 2nd).
A week ago, after the first leg, Sampaoli regretted that his players had been “overwhelmed” by their Azeri opponents. This Thursday, the Marseillais did not do better, even if they were not really put in danger despite the pressure from the Qarabag players. Steve Mandanda only stood out with a nice save on a free kick from Toral Bayramov (44th).
5 – Marseille have found the net in each of their last 5 matches in European competition, their best run since October 2009-March 2010 (8). Freed. #QFKOM pic.twitter.com/MYN9OgySfI
— OptaJean (@OptaJean) February 24, 2022
If they were realistic in front, the Marseillais were especially serious in the defensive sector. And that’s what they will certainly remember from their match: concentration, application, impermeability. They had all the same left Qarabag to find the opening, on a goal from the Senegalese Ibrahima Wadji (34th)… from the hand. Instantly, the referee of the meeting, the Pole Bartosz Frankowski, validates the goal. During these play-offs of the Europa League Conference, video assistance for arbitration is not present.
The Marseillais, revolted by the decision when the whole stadium had seen Wadji’s hand, except the referee, attacked the Qarabag players. We can thus read on the lips of Guendouzi a “it’s not good“, addressed to Wadji. The goal is finally canceled by Frankowski after the intervention of the coach of Qarabag, Qurban Qurbanov, who came to confess to the referee the hand of his player. Nearly five minutes of stoppage of play, probably the most exciting of this meeting.
Marseille has therefore not found its best level on the lawn of Qarabag Thursday evening. But the Marseille club had a solid defensive match and above all ensured the essentials by validating their ticket for the round of 16 of the competition. In the next round, Marseille will find Stade Rennais, and will have to avoid falling on AS Roma of José Mourinho, the biggest team in the eighth. The draw will take place on Friday.