Cyrille de la Morinerie / Photo credit: JEAN CATUFFE / DPPI via AFP
OM will try to defy the predictions this evening on the pitch of Atalanta Bergamo. It will be necessary to imitate the performances achieved at home in the European Cup to eliminate the 5th in Serie A. A week ago, Marseille, buoyed by their public, had an exciting match against Bergamo.
It is also thanks to major performances at the Vélodrome that the Marseillais had previously eliminated Benfica Lisbon and Villeréal. But this time, it is in a hostile atmosphere, in a very small stadium with just over 15,000 seats due to work, that Marseille will try to qualify.
OM players are ready, assures coach Jean-Louis Gasset
To reach this milestone and be invited to Dublin for the final, we will have to perform flawlessly in Italy, against this club less prestigious than AC Milan, but which plays very good football. “This is the match we have to succeed in, all the players are aware that they may no longer be playing in a European Cup semi-final. I think the players are ready,” warns the coach Phocaean Jean-Louis Gasset.
The Marseillais who did not play last weekend arrive in full force, apart from their captain Valentin Rongier who is still injured, but who is participating in the European adventure in his own way.
“For OM, we are in search of an exploit”
For their part, the Italians who beat Salerno 2-1 last Monday and who easily eliminated Liverpool are expecting a difficult match against OM. “Atalanta was surprised by OM’s performance in the first leg. So, there may be a certain fear from the Italian players. That said, for Marseille, we are looking for an exploit,” says the football consultant from Europe 1, Alain Giresse.
And to bring a lot of joy to the Old Port, Marseille is counting more than ever on its goalkeeper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who has scored 10 goals in the Europa League this season. Kick-off at 9 p.m. The other semi-final will pit the Germans from Bayer Leverkusen, who won the first leg 2-0 against AS Roma. The Europa League final will take place on May 22 in Dublin.