A week after the draw at the Vélodrome, Olympique de Marseille intends to continue its epic in the Europa League by seeking qualification for the final on the pitch of Atalanta Bergamo.
Bergamo, last stop before Dublin. Olympique de Marseille’s European journey has reached its final stop, its final connection taking it to Ireland. A detour via Italy where the Marseillais will have to not take the wrong route and board the right convoy as Florian Thauvin’s gang did in 2018.
In full possession of his means
To make history stutter, the Marseille club was placed in the best conditions and benefited from a full week of rest, relieved by the Professional Football League (LFP) of its Ligue 1 match last weekend. A blessing at the end of a tiring season where organisms need to breathe. A luxury also for a Marseille squad that has been severely tested in recent weeks.
This parenthesis, the Marseillais took full advantage of it to regain their health and were even able to record a new comeback, that of Bamo Meïté. An additional option for Jean-Louis Gasset in a sector long plagued by injuries and where he will also find Samuel Gigot, who has served his suspension. It is therefore with all of his forces, with the exception of Valentin Rongier whose season is well over, that the Marseille technician will approach this decisive meeting.
“Ready to go through the night”
“All the players are aware that they will perhaps never play a European Cup semi-final again. They are ready to give everything,” said Jean-Louis Gasset at a press conference. Everyone within the Marseille group knows the importance of the upcoming match and the commitment it requires. “The state of mind from the first leg will not be enough, we will need that extra bit of efficiency to achieve the feat. We will have to play the ideal match,” adds the coach. In fact, theOM will not be able to afford to waste like at the Vélodrome when Aubameyang redacted a counterattack or Ounahi sent a ball onto the crossbar.
The Marseille technician asked his men to be even tougher in the duels, to defend with their guts and above all to free themselves. Indeed, the Marseillais have hardly shone this season on the road with only 4 victories in 22 matches, all competitions combined, away from home.
Nothing to fear the worst, however. “There were ups and downs, bad periods. The players suffered. There, they are aware of being one match away from a historic meeting (…) Like against Benfica, we are ready to go at the end of the night to make everyone happy”, promises Jean-Louis Gasset, echoed by Jordan Veretout and the rest of his squad. The Marseillais know it, they are a little over 90 or 120 minutes from a final and will do everything to keep the flame of their European dream alive.