Dominant for almost the entire game, Olympique de Marseille will not see the Champions League this season, eliminated on penalties by Panathinaikos (2-1, 3-5 on pens).
00:44 – Good night
Thank you all for accompanying us until the end of the night to follow the return match of the third preliminary round of the Champions League between Olympique de Marseille and Panathinaikos.
00:30 – Eliminated by nothing, the summary of the match
He will have been the unfortunate hero, the one to whom nothing smiled and who will have ruined everything. We were playing extra time in the second half and OM were leading 2-0, synonymous with qualifying for the Champions League play-offs. On a final corner from Panathinaikos, the ball escaped Jedvaj and was pushed behind his back by Guendouzi. The action continued with a counter led by Vitinha, who was soon fouled. It was at this moment that time seemed to stop. The referee put his hand to his ear, called by his video assistant.
After long minutes, Mr. Oliver walked to his monitor and made the decision that an entire stadium had been dreading. The images were clear and showed a Guendouzi who touched the ball with his left hand and not with his head as we thought live. The clock showed 90+9, well beyond the five minutes initially granted and Ioannidis presented himself against Pau Lopez. Coldly, the striker, who came into play half an hour earlier, sent the ball into the Marseille right corner. Fate had just changed and the qualification that the Marseillais held firmly had just escaped them.
Because this twist of fate was only the first act of what was to become a Greek tragedy for OM. Finding a second wind in extra time, Marcelino’s men got several chances including a huge one for Vitinha. After a long run, Veretout crossed back for his Portuguese striker whose shot was saved on the line by defender Magnusson. The former Braga then thought to free his partners and the whole stadium when he pushed the ball into the back of the net, receiving a low cross from Guendouzi, but the euphoria was shattered by a new intervention from the video assistant which finally indicated a tiny offside from Sarr, who had made play action by going to the duel with Jedvaj at the first post, probably preventing the latter from intervening.
Marseille’s last push proved futile and the penalty shootout became inevitable. First Marseillais to take responsibility, Guendouzi crossed his attempt but Brignoli chose the right side and diverted his fist. Nobody would fail then, leaving the international environment the worst role.
However, before these two errors, OM had just had it. From the second minute, Aubameyang escaped in depth, rounded the opposing goalkeeper and slipped the ball into the empty net. On his first action, the Marseille club had erased his delay and set the tone for a successful first act where he never let his opponent breathe. His mistake was not to succeed in taking shelter when Ndiaye, Gigot or Clauss had the opportunity. The Gabonese’s second goal just before the break should have been enough but Rongier and his teammates took the hit physically after the hour mark and left the Greeks, well helped by the judicious changes of Jovanovic, out of the vice until this fatal hand in added time.
If everything is not to be thrown away in this meeting, Olympique de Marseille lost big against Panathinaikos and will have to settle for a season at the bottom level in the Europa League. Not quite where he expected to be.
00:13 – On to the Europa League
With this elimination in the third preliminary round of the Champions League, Olympique de Marseille is returned directly to the group stage of the Europa League. He will accompany Rennes, fourth in Ligue 1 last season, and Toulouse, winner of the Coupe de France. For their part, Paris Saint-Germain and RC Lens will be the only French representatives in C1.
00:07 – Aubameyang’s words
“After all the effort we made today, it’s not necessarily deserved for them. Everyone gave everything to win this match but it wasn’t enough. Obviously, it’s sad”declared the head down at the microphone of M6 Pierre-Aymerick Aubameyang, author yet of a double this evening for OM.
00:01 – The disarray of OM
Qualified until 90+9, Olympique de Marseille finally failed against Panathinaikos and said goodbye to their Champions League dreams (2-1, tab 3-5). Put into orbit by a double from Aubameyang in the first half, the Marseillais weakened as the match lasted and conceded a penalty in the last moments of additional time, leading them into extra time. There, Vitinha believed gave a decisive advantage to his people but his goal was canceled. Everything was then decided on penalties where Guendouzi was the only one to see his attempt repelled. Marseille will not play in the C1 this season.
08/15/23 – 23:57 – 3-5 Panathnaikos
Under the whistles of the whole Velodrome, Mladenovic does not tremble and opens his left foot to take Ruben Blanco on the wrong foot. Panathinaikos wins and eliminates OM!
08/15/23 – 23:56 – 3-4 Marseille
Vitinha comes forward and hits hard on the ground. His left cross shot is out of Brignoli’s reach.
08/15/23 – 23:55 – 2-4 Panathinaikos
Ruben Blanco does not move from the middle of his goal but Palacios chose to strike hard cross on the left.
08/15/23 – 11:55 p.m. – 2-3 Marseille
In all relaxation, Sarr advances, waits for Brignoli to go to his left and crosses from the right to the opposite.
08/15/23 – 23:53 – 1-3 Panathinaikos
Kleinheisler hits very hard on the left, crossing his attempt. Ruben Blanco anticipates well, puts his hand but his the ball is too powerful and goes in anyway.
08/15/23 – 11:53 p.m. – 1-2, Marseille
Veretout crosses with his right foot. Brignoli starts from the right side but Veretout’s ball is high and out of reach.
08/15/23 – 23:52 – 0-2, Panathinaikos
Bernard chooses to hit hard in the center. Ruben Blanco started on his right.
08/15/23 – 11:50 p.m. – 0-1, stoppage by Brignoli on Guendouzi
Guendouzi is the first Marseille shooter and chooses to hit cross. Brignoli dives on the right side, stretches out his left arm and pushes back the attempt from the international midfielder.
08/15/23 – 23:49 – 0-1, Panathinaikos
Ioannidis opens with his right foot and puts the ball out of reach for Ruben Blanco who had dived to the right side.
08/15/23 – 11:44 p.m. – Time for penalties!
Marseille believed they made the decision thanks to Vitinha but the goal scored by the Portuguese at the start of the second period of extra time was canceled for an offside by Sarr. OM then failed to score against Panathinaikos. The fate of this third preliminary round of the Champions League will be decided on penalties.
08/15/23 – 11:43 p.m. – Pau Lopez leaves
Just before the final whistle, Marcelino replaces Pau Lopez and launches Ruben Blanco, more comfortable in the penalty shootout.
08/15/23 – 11:42 p.m. – Brignoli anticipates well
Guendouzi finds a nice pass line to break the two defensive lines of Panathinaikos. It’s for Clauss but Brignoli comes out and lays on the ball.
08/15/23 – 11:40 p.m. – Additional time: 3 minutes
Despite the video refereeing on Vitinha’s disallowed goal, the referee only awarded three minutes of additional time in this second period of extra time.
08/15/23 – 11:39 p.m. – Vitinha cuts aside
Lodi still has energy to overflow on the left side. His center is well adjusted and Vitinha comes to cut it at the near post. His deflection of the tip propels the ball flush with Brignoli’s skylight.
08/15/23 – 23:38 – Too long for Palacios
Brignoli extends in the axis. Palacios starts behind Lodi but went too far to take the ball before Pau Lopez.
08/15/23 – 11:35 p.m. – The aborted counter
Marseille recovers the ball by Guendouzi who plays quickly forward. The Marseillais are 4 against 1 but Sarr does not manage to take the ball which passes behind his back.
08/15/23 – 11:33 p.m. – The Marseille goal canceled
After long minutes of hesitation, the referee finally canceled Vitinha’s goal for an offside by Sarr, who took action at the near post in the duel with Jedvaj. Everything has to be redone for OM, not varnished on this action.
08/15/23 – 11:29 p.m. – Vitinha breathes new life into OM (3-1)
Marseille leads the counter and Clauss offers a new race forward. The side shifts to the right Guendouzi whose center at ground level crosses the Greek surface. Alone at the back post, Vitinha is in the right place to propel the ball into the goal and blow up the Velodrome.