Marseille slips past Strasbourg
THE GAME
Spurs arrive at the Stade Vélodrome on Tuesday as OM need to win to reach the round of 16, but Igor Tudor’s men will face the encounter without a win in four league games after Gameiro’s stoppage-time goal offered a deserved point to the hosts.
Things were looking bad for Julien Stéphan’s side as OM, who had lost their previous three games after nine games unbeaten in the campaign, got off to a strong start. Dimitri Payet, reinstated in the starting lineup, got rid of several defenders before starting Bamba Dieng, whose shot was deflected (6th).
The Senegalese international, who was not in OM’s squad for European competitions and who seemed ready to leave the club this summer, then scored his first goal of the season, hanging on to Pau’s long clearance Lopez to lob Matz Sels (8′). .
Strasbourg, without a win in six home games, then forced Sels to repel Cengiz Ünder (16th) before Habib Diallo had his first chance, but the former Metzois crushed his strike (24th). Ünder hits a post (26th) before Issa Kaboré doubles the visitors’ lead: the Manchester City winger on loan puts the finishing touches on a cross from Jonathan Clauss (35th) for his first league goal with OM .
The visitors were in control, but the powerful tackle from Jordan Veretout who brought the ball to Lopez’s crossbar suggested that the score was not necessarily set in stone (38th). Ünder should have given them a more comfortable advantage, but failed to finish from close range (58th), and when Strasbourg pushed back Lebo Mothiba – replacing Diallo at half time – 14 minutes from the end, the ‘OM wavered.
The hosts piled in, and after a double from Lopez to prevent Gameiro (89th), the former Paris Saint-Germain striker scored a superb shot from the left beyond the Spanish OM goalkeeper to give Strasbourg a point unexpected and a 14th draw in the league. of 2022.
THE PLAYER: Pau Lopez
Marseille owe their goalkeeper not only Gameiro’s late double save which helped them avoid a morale-sapping defeat, but also the assist he provided for the opening goal.
THE STAT: 22
Clauss has scored 22 goals since the start of last season, netting six goals, making him the most productive defender in Europe’s top five leagues.