powerless, OM suffered a second defeat in a row in the Champions League

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The group stage of the Champions League has only just begun, but the affairs of Olympique de Marseille are already looking complicated. The Marseille club occupies the last place in group D, with two defeats in two games, after its setback, Tuesday, September 13, against Eintracht Frankfurt (0-1) at the Velodrome. The latter had however found the joys of the C1 sold out for the first time in eleven years. But the 62,000 Marseille supporters will have regrets because only Jesper Lindström scored tonight (43rd), for the German club.

Anesthetized for an hour, the Marseille public nevertheless believed in a return of their team in the last thirty minutes. The situations multiplied, as a result of the very stirring entries of Amine Harit and Cengiz Under on the hour mark in place of the disappointing Gerson and Dimitri Payet. But Jonathan Clauss (60th) and Valentin Rongier (66th) came up against Kevin Trapp, the former goalkeeper of Paris Saint-Germain now in Frankfurt. Luis Suarez then completely missed his recovery when he was alone at the penalty spot (71st). In stoppage time, he gave a last thrill in the bays of the Vélodrome, but his shot was blocked by a German player (90 + 3rd).

The conclusion, at the end of this defeat, is finally the same as a week ago after the disappointment of Tottenham (0-2): the Marseillais started the match with intentions, rhythm and aggressiveness. , but they were powerless in the offensive sector. Witness the only two Marseille chances of the first period wasted by Alexis Sanchez (12th, 23rd).

It is logical that the Marseillais returned at half-time under the whistles of the Vélodrome. A little less with a goal behind. Because the Germans of Frankfurt, winners of the last edition of the Europa League, have above all shown defensive solidity without being dangerous offensively. And while Eintracht had done almost nothing in its first act, Jesper Lindström thus took advantage of a double error, from Éric Bailly then from Rongier, to deceive Pau Lopez (43rd) just before the break.

Fortunately for the OM players, when the OM players returned from the locker room, the Eintracht players were unable to double the bet despite the situations for Ansgar Knauff (57th) and Lindström (58th). And when the Marseillais discovered themselves to try to equalize at all costs, it was Pau Lopez who kept OM alive, by diverting the attempts of Lindström (54th), of the very prominent Randal Kolo Muani (75th) and Daichi Kamada (81st).

Confident after their good match at Tottenham last week despite the defeat, and their very good start to the season in Ligue 1, OM are surely paying the price for their inexperience at this level. And this even though Frankfurt is not making a very good start to the season. The Marseille club also pays for a lack of creativity in the last thirty opposing meters against a well-established defensive block.

While the behavior of German and Marseille supporters, five days after the incidents in Nice involving Cologne faithful, was closely scrutinized with an increased police presence around the Vélodrome, it is ultimately the ground that worries more at the end of these first two OM C1 matches. The Marseille club has just had a sixteenth defeat in its last seventeen Champions League matches.

He now occupies the last place in Group D, three points behind Tottenham and Frankfurt, two teams against which he has just lost. Marseille and the Vélodrome will return to Europe at the end of the international break, in early October against Sporting CP, first in the group with two victories in two games. If successful, OM will be able to believe in qualifying for the round of 16 with three games remaining to be played. But there is already urgency.


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