Olympique de Marseille is preparing to host Atalanta Bergamo this Thursday in the semi-final first leg of the Europa League (9 p.m.). Jean-Louis Gasset will be able to count on Chancel Mbemba and Amir Murillo, uncertain for a while, for this poster which promises to be hot at the Vélodrome.
Olympique de Marseille dreams of lifting a second European Cup, after winning the Champions League in 1993. In the semi-final of the Europa League, the Phocaeans are keen to once again reach the final of this competition, as in 2018 (3-0 defeat in the final against Atlético de Madrid).
To achieve this, the Marseillais will have to overcome Atalanta Bergamo. A team that eliminated Liverpool in the quarter-finals. If OM are not favorites on paper, Jean-Louis Gasset will be able to rely on a rather strong squad, this Thursday at the Vélodrome, in the semi-final first leg (9 p.m.). The coach can count on the return of his defensive captain Chancel Mbemba, absent during the three matches following the clash against Benfica on April 18. An uncertain time, Amir Murillo is there too. The captains Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Leonardo Balerdi and Jordan Veretout are also in the game.
“We are on a dynamic”
According to our information, Mbemba even has a chance of being present from kick-off, if his feelings are good during the last training session. Exited prematurely against Lens on Sunday in Ligue 1 (2-1), Amir Murillo is restored and is claiming a place in the eleven. Samuel Gigot is suspended for this clash against the Lombard club.
With two wins and two draws since the elimination of Benfica, the Marseillais are on a good “dynamic” in the eyes of Jean-Louis Gasset. At a press conference, the former Ivory Coast coach praised “the good state of mind” of his troops. “We’re going to have to maintain it, against the best team of the four we’ve ever had to play, we’re going to have to go up a notch. It’s an atypical team which is very difficult to play against.”
