Champions League: beaten at end of match by Tottenham, OM says goodbye to Europe

Olympique de Marseille lost in the last seconds against Tottenham (1-2) on Tuesday, during the sixth and last day of the Champions League. OM even missed third place, synonymous with Europa League.

From the nightmare dream. OM missed its group D final against Tottenham (1-2), Tuesday, November 1, during the sixth and last day of the Group phase of the Champions League. A third time and virtually donated to the Europa League in favor of Frankfurt’s victory in Sporting Portugal (1-2), the Olympians lost everything in the last seconds on a cruel goal by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (90 e +5). Finally fourth, they will not replay a European competition this season.

We cannot blame Igor Tudor’s men for playing little arm. OM has tried to throw all its strength in the battle. In the additional time of the meeting, Marseille projected himself in number in the London camp to afford a victory and a qualification in the knockout stages of the Champions League for the first time in eleven years.

But they were punished on a unacceptable loss of ball. Tottenham has perfectly negotiated a counterattack in numerical superiority, concluded by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (1-2, 90 e +5). “It’s a huge disappointment, we can only attack ourselves, commented Mattéo Guendouzi at the microphone of Canal+. We pushed to score a second goal, but we should have kept this 1-1. There was a lack of communication and experience on this end of the match. It is a catastrophic result quite simply. “

The outcome is all the more cruel since a few minutes before, Sead Kolasinac thought to capsize the Vélodrome stadium with happiness. The scoring was still zero when the Bosnian defender missed, alone in the opposing surface, his head stung (87 ^e).

a successful start to the match

“We started the match up to the event,” Jonathan Clauss rightly analyzed on Canal+. Carried by an incandescent velodrome despite the suspension of the North turn – due to the incidents against Frankfurt on the second day – the Phocaeans applied the same recipe as in the first leg. A high and intense pressing to suffocate Tottenham.

Apart from the injury of Eric Bailly after only nine minutes of play, everything smiled at OM who obtained many opportunities by Alexis Sanchez (3 ^{e , 19 e sup>) or Jordan Veretout (33 e ). A very good first period awarded with the opening of the scoring of Chancel Mbemba with a powerful head at the reception of a center of Jordan Veretout (1-0, 45 ^{e +2).}}

less aggressiveness in the second period

But like their European saw campaign, the Marseillais stopped playing on the return from the locker room. “We have misunderstood the start of the second period, we were less surly,” said Jonathan Clauss. The pressing was less effective and Tottenham, however deprived of Heung -Min Son -released after 29 minutes of play -, gradually resumed in the meeting. OM was no longer there and the equalization of French Clément Lenglet, of the head, was deserved (1-1, 54 ^{e ).}

As often, Igor Tudor was slow to bring new blood in his training. Dimitri Payet did not come into play while his technical touch could have relieved his own at the end of the game. This did not prevent Amine Harit (59

é>), Alexis Sanchez (83 e ), Sead Kolasinac (87 e ) or Nuno Tavares (90 e +1) to get match and qualifying balls in the round of 16. In vain.

4 – Marseille on its last 3 participations in the Champions League:
2013/14: 4th ❌
2020/21: 4E❌
2022/23:… https://t.co/3lhw9gabz8
– optajean (@optajean)

The cruel outcome definitively plunges Marseille into doubt. For its third consecutive participation in C1, OM ends the group phase in the last place of its pool. A legitimate position since the Phocaeans only defeated Sporting, which was in numerical inferiority during most of the confrontation, round trip (4-1 then 2-0).

Marseille must now refocus on Ligue 1 and the reception of Olympique Lyonnais, Sunday, November 6, to end its sad series of five games without victory.

/Media reports.