Olympique de Marseille receives, Thursday, February 17 at 9 p.m., on the occasion of the first leg of the play-offs of the Europa League Conference, the club atzerbaijani from Qarabag FK. Drafted after their third place in group E of the Europa League, the Olympians can reach the round of 16 of the new European competition. The players of Jorge Sampaoli, dolphins of PSG in Ligue 1, start as favorites, but will have to face an experienced team.
Marseille in search of a new European dynamic
Europa League finalists in 2018, OM have had disappointing European performances over the past four seasons. In 2018-2019, the Phocaeans were eliminated in the group stages of the Europa League, with only one point scored against the Cypriot club Apollon Limassol. After a season without European competition, Dimitri Payet and his teammates managed to qualify for the Champions League for the 2020-2021 season. New disappointment for OM who were eliminated in the group stages with only three points obtained during a narrow victory against Olympiakos.
This season, the Marseillais finished third in their Europa League group. A disappointing result which still allows them to be drafted into the Europa League Conference. To reach the round of 16, they will have to win a round-trip duel against Qarabag FK. The Olympians have something to play for in an affordable competition. They are among the favorite teams with Leicester, AS Roma and Fenerbahçe.
Qarabag, a regular in Europe
Azerbaijani club created in 1951, Qarabag FK is not an opponent to be taken lightly. In addition to its eight Azerbaijani league titles, the club has gained real experience in European competitions since the end of the 1990s. After many years of preliminary rounds, the team played its first group stage in the Europa League during the 2014-2015 season and in the Champions League in 2017.
Qarabag are flying this season
▪️ Progressed from the UECL group stage ✅
▪️ 8-point lead at the top of the domestic league
▪️ Lost only 1 league game this season @FKQarabaghEN | #UECL pic.twitter.com/xXOYyeHqyb— UEFA Europa Conference League (@europacnfleague) February 3, 2022
This season, Qarabag finished second in Group H of the Europa League Conference, passing for the first time in its history the first stages in a European competition. Thanks to an experienced workforce, with many foreign players, including former Lens striker Abdellah Zoubir, the “Cavaliers” intend to continue on their way and are not going to make gifts to the Marseillais.
Marseille finally on the attack
Faced with this experienced and confident team, the Phocaeans have a major asset: an attack in great shape. The recruitment of Cédric Bakambu, who arrived free of any contract in January, has brought depth to OM in attack. This arrival comes at the same time as the return to form of Arkadiusz Milik. The Polish centre-forward has scored four goals in the last two Ligue 1 games and seems to have regained some precious confidence.
@arekmilik9 did a madness and not one of the three defenders ever stood a chance pic.twitter.com/wbAQUFdDRY
— Olympique de Marseille (@OM_English) February 13, 2022
Apart from these two centre-forwards, OM can count on an attack provided and full of talent. Dimitri Payet, captain of the squad and true Marseille master, is still having a very good season with nine goals and the same number of assists since the start of the season. The Olympians can also count on the return of Bamba Dieng, the Senegalese striker, winner of CAN 2022.