Olympique de Marseille will face Atalanta Bergamo in the Europa League semi-final (May 2 and 9). A confrontation that worries some observers.
Four days before the first leg of the Europa League semi-final which will pit them against Atalanta Bergamo, Olympique de Marseille gained a little more confidence by winning on Sunday evening against Racing Club de Lens (2 -1, 31st day of Ligue 1). Remaining in four matches in a row without the slightest defeat, in all competitions, the Marseille club will now try to continue its European adventure. But the state of health of Jean-Louis Gasset’s training worries more than one.
And for some observers, Atalanta promises to be a real mountain to overcome for the Olympians. Referring to Marseille’s victory against Lens, Raymond Domenech expressed his skepticism. “ It’s good what Marseille managed to do in that match. In the state in which we had seen him a few days before, we said to ourselves: ‘They will have difficulty’. And they still have a capacity, a spring. They adapted well to Lens’ game by playing against it, they came from behind (…), but that doesn’t reassure me for the European Cup match which is coming behind. When we see the quality of Atalanta (…), I am still worried about the Marseillais who do not have the solidity and athletic ability to resist. (…) We can remain worried about what will happen to them. »
Physical state in question
A sentiment shared by Giovanni Castladi, who also gave his opinion on the channel The Team. “ Reassuring result with a view to qualifying against Atalanta? No, not at all, because I saw a Marseille team which was very physically affected, which had a lot of difficulty building, there was a lot of waste. » Still emphasizing the mentality displayed by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and his teammates against Lens, the journalist therefore admitted some fears before the European meeting on May 2 (and on the 9 for the return). “ I’m sorry, but when I see Atalanta Bergamo’s matches and I see the degree of intensity they are capable of putting into a match, I am very worried on an athletic level for the Marseillais. »
It remains for the Phocaeans to prepare as best they can for their semi-final. The days to come will perhaps allow organisms to recover the energy necessary to resist and perhaps create a new surprise. This weekend, Atalanta won in Serie A against Cagliari (2-0). Gian Piero Gasperini’s protégés remain on a series of three consecutive victories, in all competitions.
