Marseille overcomes Nice in the clash for the Champions League (2-1)
It was the shock of the top of the table for this 29th day of Ligue 1. The real southern derby between OGC Nice and Olympique de Marseille. The context around the match made it almost unmissable. At the end of a mixed encounter, it was the Marseillais who came out victorious and who carried out the good operation of the weekend by becoming the only runner-up to PSG.
The Marseille supporters had warned, this meeting would smell of gunpowder. In a good way, because no overflow is to be reported. The atmosphere, on the other hand, was there. The orange Vélodrome answered present, as soon as the 22 players entered, we felt the smell of a great match.
The start of the match for the Olympians did not betray the intensity, the pressing, a desire to move forward. The Aiglons are asphyxiated, the match is one-sided. A possession of 80% during the first quarter of an hour for the Marseillais. Little by little, Galtier’s plan is taking shape, as usual in high-stakes matches, he asks his team to play in a median block, forcing the opposing team to try to break the lock.
Unfortunately, the Marseillais are far too imprecise in their transmissions. They manage to approach the surface, but fish in the last pass. What technical inaccuracies. The first dangerous chances came shortly before the half-hour mark with Saliba bringing in Benitez who pulled out a nice header from the central defender. 9 minutes later, it was captain Dimitri Payet who tried his luck at the entrance to the area, but did not fit in the shot. The illustration of this waste present among the Phocaeans.
But the self-sacrifice and intentions of Marseille are rewarded just before returning to the locker room. On a nice action between Payet and Under, the thing is unbalanced by Todibo who makes a mistake, penalty! Milik takes his responsibilities and transforms him with a very nice counterpoint. The stadium caught fire, Marseille did the hardest part and in a momentum that counts. The referee whistles half-time, the Nice will have to show a more conquering face to hope not to lose points on his rival.
OM have this annoying habit of stopping to play in the second period. Nice knows this and returns with better intentions. Gouiri is more found, Delort is more stirring. He also thinks of putting the two teams equal in the 48th minute, but the referee refuses him for an offside. Nice continues in this dynamic and the Marseillais are retreating more and more. They operate in counterattack. They could have made the break many times, but each time, the waste is present in the last gesture, the last pass. Payet, Harit, Under, it was an anthology. Until the end, the end is unbreathable, but Cédric Bakambu, alias “Bakagoal” returned a minute before deciding to close the evening with a superb header well spiked on the left of the Argentinian goalkeeper. Marseille soufflé! The three points and second place seem more than ever in the bag. Lémina’s goal at the very end of the match in added time will not have changed anything, Marseille wins with a score of 2 goals to 1 in this match and launches its Champions League operation in the most beautiful way.