In 2010, OM were eliminated from the Europa League by Benfica. Fourteen years later, a player from the Lisbon team will once again find himself on the road to Marseille, next month during the quarter-finals.
We like or don’t like Angel di Maria, we can recognize one thing from him. Longevity, life expectancy. The one who celebrated 36 years last month gives satisfaction to Benfica (15 goals – 11 assists in all competitions this season), the Lisbon club that he decided to return to last summer after a year at Juventus (2022 -2023).
With the Portuguese team, the Argentine winger will face Olympique de Marseille during the quarter-finals of the Europa League. A double confrontation (April 11 and 18) which we can assume is special for the 2022 world champion. Angel di Maria was already there fourteen years earlier.
Ben Arfa sees red
In March 2010, OM were eliminated in the round of 16 of the same C3, beaten in the return match at the Vélodrome stadium on a goal scored by Kardec in added time (1-2, 90e + 1). Ben Arfa had been expelled from Marseille (90e).
Besides Di Maria, Benfica had in its ranks some names that were known or would soon become so: David Luiz, Saviola, Cardozo, Luisao, Coentrao… Let’s hope for OM fans that Angel di Maria, for a long time enemy as a PSG player (2015-2022), does not cause misfortune to the Olympians again.
