European Cup: for suspense returns, OM and Lyon count their absentees … Presentation and probable compositions
The last French clubs involved in European competitions this season, Lyon, in the Europa League, and Marseille, in the Europa Conference League, are competing in the quarter-finals on Thursday. Respectively against West Ham and PAOK Salonika, OL and OM are deprived of important elements.
OM and OL are aiming for a European Cup semi-final this Thursday
Lyon and Marseille have an appointment with Europe this Thursday (9 p.m.). Claimants to final victory, respectively in the Europa League and Europa League Conference, the Lyonnais and the Marseillais will try to win their qualification for the semi-finals.
Lyon will have to be more efficient
Disappointing 10th in Ligue 1, OL are putting almost everything on the Europa League at the end of the season. But, after a frustrating draw in the first leg (1-1), Les Gones will not have it easy against West Ham. In numerical superiority throughout the second half a week ago, Peter Bosz’s men had failed to take over the 6th in the Premier League despite their domination (68% possession, 23 shots 5). Will they be able to tonight?
Often it’s easy to say ‘you have to score’, but when you have so many chances… We can do some things better , declared the Lyon coach to the press. Lyon will have to do better in the last gesture in particular. In the first leg, the Lyonnais had only scored 3 of their 23 attempts. Without his attacking midfielder Lucas Paqueta, sick, nor his goalkeeper Anthony Lopes, injured, Bosz will have to review his starting lineup. Romain Faivre could be preferred Houssem Aouar behind Moussa Dembèle, claimed the right lane the rookie Tet.
Probable teams:
Lyons: Pollersbeck – Dubois, Denayer, Lukeba – Emerson – Thiago Mendes, Ndombele – Tet, Faivre, Toko Ekambi, Demb.
West Ham: Areola – Fredericks, Diop, Dawson, Johnson – Soucek, Rice, Fornals – Bowen, Antonio, Benrahma.
A boiling return for OM
At the end of the season, OM are showing their objectives: to finish on the podium in Ligue 1 and win the Europa League Conference. If the first is on the right track, with a 2nd place and 7 points ahead of the 4th, the outcome is more uncertain on the European scene. Failing to have completely concretized their wide domination in the first leg (2-1), the Marseillais offer themselves a perilous trip against the boiling public of PAOK Salonika.
Apparently, there is a very warm atmosphere here but we play football to experience moments like that, to play in stadiums like that. It’s up to us to keep our calm, our srnit, to maintain our advantage in the first leg , warned goalkeeper Steve Mandanda, who will make a third start in a row. His coach Jorge Sampaoli will have to compose without Gerson, Boubacar Kamara and Bamba Dieng, suspended, but also without Arkadiusz Milik, still injured. Dimitri Payet could be aligned at the top, surrounded by Cengiz nder and Amine Harit.
Probable teams:
PAOK: Paschalakis – Lyratzis, Ingason, Crespo, Vieirinha – Augusto, Kurtic – Zivkovic, El-Kaddouri, Biseswar – Akpom.
Marseilles: Mandanda – Lirola, Saliba, Caleta-Car, Peres – Rongier, Gueye, Guendouzi – nder, Payet, Harit.
What are your predictions for these two games? Feel free to react and beat in the area add a comment …