Olympique de Marseille (OM) has finally launched its European campaign. After two defeats, conceded on the lawn of the English of Tottenham (2-0) and at home against the Germans of Eintracht Frankfurt (0-1), the Marseillais defeated Sporting Portugal, club of Lisbon, 4 to 1 during of the third day of the Champions League, Tuesday October 4, 2022, behind closed doors in the Stade-Vélodrome.
In numerical superiority for three quarters of the game, Igor Tudor’s protégés offer themselves three points which allow them to relaunch in Group D for the race to qualify for the round of 16 of the competition.
This victory for OM, a rarity in the Champions League (the Marseille club had sixteen defeats in the last seventeen matches in C1), Marseille fans were not allowed to experience it at the stadium.
On September 13, supporters of OM and Eintracht Frankfurt threw smoke bombs at each other before kick-off and during the match won by the Germans (0-1). The Marseille club, which was suspended, threatened by a total camera after the incidents which occurred last season in the semi-final of the Europa League against Feyenoord Rotterdam, was sanctioned with a match without spectators by the Union of associations European football.
Initially scheduled for 6:45 p.m. on Tuesday, the kick-off of the match was delayed by more than twenty minutes… because the players of the Lisbon club had arrived late at the stadium, their bus having been stuck in traffic jams in Marseille. . Latecomers at the time of entering the lawn, the Portuguese wasted no time at kick-off. From the first action, Francisco Trincao made a breakthrough on the right side before finding the fault with a shot from the left (0-1, 1D minute).
The misfortunes of the Sporting goalkeeper
Sporting goalkeeper Antonio Adan then distinguished himself against his team. First, his clearance blocked by Alexis Sanchez reset the counters to zero (1-1, 13e minute). Then, Amine Harit took advantage of his wait-and-see attitude to give Marseille the advantage (2-1, 16e minute). A few minutes later, against Nuno Tavares, Sporting’s last bastion blocked the ball with their hands… outside their area. The referee does not hesitate to show the red card.
Led and reduced to ten against eleven from the 23e minute, the Lusitanian players then took a blow to the head when Marseille defender Leonardo Balerdi placed his on the receipt of a corner from Amine Harit (3-1, 28e minute).
After a very lively first half, the Olympians managed their lead more during the second half. Chancel Mbemba still added a goal to expand Marseille’s success (4-1, 84e minute).
In the Group D classification, OM are three points behind their opponent of the day (three points against six), a week before the return leg, Wednesday, October 12, at the José Alvalade stadium. The only downside, the international side Jonathan Clauss, who was in great shape, had to leave on injury during the match, visibly injured in the calf.