OM beat Qarabagh grass and qualifies for the round of 16

After the past seven tense days, and speeches from Marseille’s workforce executives and Jorge Sampaoli who expected more from his players, we don’t know if the situation will be more reassuring at Olympique de Marseille on Thursday 24 February. The Fujians proved well that they qualified for the knockout stages of the European League Conference by winning by wide score on Karabagh (0-3), a week after winning the first leg (3-1), but they were not convinced. Away from this.

At the Tofik Bahramov Stadium in Baku, where 155 Marseille fans made the (long) trip to this meeting, the Sampaoli players were not present offensively. The result is misleading, because OM scored almost every chance. We have to remember Dimitri Payet’s inspiration for Bab Guy, who scored his first goal this season from a narrow angle (12) and Matteo Guendouzi’s long-shot goal for the second goal (76). Against the less daring Azeris in the last quarter of the hour, Conrad de la Fuente added a goal in the last moments of the match (90 + 2).

A week ago, after the first leg, Sampaoli expressed his regret that his players were “laden“By their Azerbaijani opponents. This Thursday, Marseille didn’t perform better, even if they weren’t really in danger despite the pressure from the Karabagh players. Steve Mandanda only stood up with a superb free kick save from Toral Bayramov (44).

5- Marseille scored the net in each of its last 5 matches in the European competition, which is its best track since October 2009 until March 2010 (8). release him. #QFKOME pic.twitter.com/MYN9OgySfI

– OptaJean (@OptaJean) February 24 2022

If they were realistic up front, Marseilles were particularly serious in the defensive sector. This is what they will surely remember from the match: focus, application and impermeability. All of them left Karabagh to find the opening, with a goal from Senegalese Ibrahima Wuji (34) … from his hand. Immediately, the referee of the meeting, Paul Bartosz-Frankovsky, confirmed the goal. During these qualifiers from the European League Conference, there is no video assistance for refereeing.

Marseille was upset by the decision when the stadium saw Wuji’s hand, except for the referee, and attacked the Qarabagh players. Thus we can read on the tongue of Guendouzi “It’s not good”, addressed to WJ. Frankovsky finally canceled the goal after the intervention of Karabakh coach Kurban Kurbanov who came to the referee acknowledging his player’s hand. Almost five minutes of stopping play, perhaps the most exciting of this meeting.

Therefore, Marseille did not find its best level in Marj Karabakh on Thursday evening. But the Marseille team presented a strong defensive match and above all within the basics by validating the validity of its ticket to the round of 16 of the competition. In the next round, he will face Marseille from Stade Rennes, and he will have to avoid falling in the face of Roma led by Jose Mourinho, the biggest team in eighth place. The draw will take place on Friday.