Beaten for the first time this season in the Europa League, with a goal conceded at the end of the match, OM lost first place in the group and direct qualification for the round of 16 to Brighton.
Gennaro Gattuso had hammered it home. The Italian coach did not want Olympique Marseille to come and play 0-0 this Thursday evening in Brighton, where a draw was enough for the Phocaeans to ensure their direct qualification for the round of 16 of the Europa League. However, this is what happened and OM, undoubtedly a little too passive, ended up being punished by the Seagulls, winners at the end of the match (1-0).
For 80 minutes, this match was quite strange for a long time. Maestro Roberto De Zerbi’s Brighton showed significantly more certainty in the game, but without really being dangerous. Much less inspired in the game, the Olympians had the best chances, with a shot from Jonathan Clauss deflected onto the crossbar (15th), a post for Amine Harit (59th) and another opportunity for Clauss (69th).
Perilous roadblock ahead
OM, however, remained on a series of four consecutive victories, and should have benefited from a certain confidence in their game, but Gattuso’s 3-5-2, with the Vitinha-Aubameyang duo again at the forefront, did not didn’t give much. And Brighton’s acceleration at the end of the match was fatal, with a nice collective movement and a very nice sequence from Joao Pedro in the area (1-0, 88th).
This first defeat of the season in the Europa League hurts for OM, since it deprives the Phocaeans of first place in the group, and of direct qualification for the round of 16. Instead, we will have to compete in a perilous play-off against a Champions League winner (AC Milan, Benfica, Galatasaray, etc.). This was not the expected scenario…
Marseille lost in the final moments of the match against Brighton 😱
The Olympians fall to second place in group B and will play in the Europa League play-offs 🥵 #BHAOM pic.twitter.com/d42Ielewrh
— French Football Weekly (@football_fr) December 14, 2023
