Football: In the Champions League, a Nightmare Scenario for OM in Lisbon
The Marseille Olympic team started well by a nice goal from Igor Paixao, against Sporting Lisbon. Weakened by the expulsion of Emerson Palmieri before the break they lost 2-1 this Wednesday, which once again weakens its position in the Champions League.
Marseille remained on a good series of five victories in a row in all competitions, and the idea was to maintain the dynamic and try to show on the outside the same qualities as those exhibited regularly for almost two months at the Stade Vélodrome.
But this Wednesday, OM was less good than in recent weeks and was unable to resist 10 against 11 throughout the second period, also the victim of an opposite fate with the refereeing, the video canceling three times initially favorable decisions.
The first, and heaviest, came at 45th minute, while OM led 1-0, when what we thought was the 2-0 penalty turned into a disaster: helped by VAR, the referee finally judged that Emerson, already warned, had simulated and OM found themselves at ten.
Paixao still shines
Before this twist, OM’s first period had balanced between mastery and thoughtlessness. When Sporting was dangerous, it was in fact almost every time because Marseille gave them the ammunition.
READ MORE: Football: Paris returns to Champions League mode in Leverkusen (2-7)
From the 3rd minute, Leonardo Balerdi was thus warned for a very late foul on Luis Suarez, very short-lived ex-Marseillais. A missed pass from the Argentine defender gave Suarez another chance (38th), a few moments after a dangerous miss from Geronimo Rulli.
For the rest, Roberto De Zerbi’s men, certainly less brilliant than in certain recent matches, had generally controlled the debates.
First two attempts by Igor Paixao (8th and 11th) had set the tone but the little Brazilian winger was in fact simply adjusting the sights: three minutes later, it was the right one.
After a great action built by Timothy Weah and Mason Greenwood, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang launched Paixao with a beautiful cross and the Brazilian’s thunderous right foot did the rest for a superb curling shot into the top corner (1-0, 14th).
But the match really changed with Emerson’s red card. Outnumbered, the Marseillais then really suffered and found very few spaces or opportunities to breathe, not helped either by the tasteless entries of Matt O’Riley or Amir Murillo.
At 58th minute, Rulli first pushed a tight angle shot from Geovany Quenda onto his post, before a new opportunity for Joao Simoes (62nd). Sporting then pushed hard, to the point of finally waking up the placid José Alvalade stadium.
Unhappy pavard
And that’s when a second bad news came from VAR: while Geny Catamo’s goal was initially canceled for offside, the video showed that the Mozambican was in fact covered by half a foot from Benjamin Pavard (1-1, 70th).
And while trying to save a point, De Zerbi’s team was on the contrary unhappy once again in the 86th minute, when Alisson Santos’ shot was deflected by Benjamin Pavard, leaving Rulli no chance.
At the very end of the match, VAR intervened again to transform – quite logically – Maximiliano Araujo’s red card into a simple warning, confirming that it was definitely not OM’s evening.
The victory obtained against Ajax Amsterdam was not improved in Lisbon. The Marseillais have just three points after three matches and the two upcoming receptions of Atalanta Bergamo and Newcastle will be worth a lot.
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