Atalanta put out the Marseille flame hard. OM lost heavily in Bergamo on Thursday in the Europa League semi-final return leg (3-0). If the first leg concluded in a draw (1-1) had left hopes for the Phocaeans, this second round revealed the total superiority of the Dea with goals from Ademola Lookman (30th), Matteo Ruggeri (52nd) and El -Bilal Touré (90th+4). She will go to the final in Dublin on May 22. OM did not exist.
The Marseillais were optimistic after their encouraging performance at home, especially as they regained almost all their strength. Atalanta disappointed in its collective performance at the Vélodrome. At Gewiss Stadium, she showed a completely different face, the one expected and feared.
OM totally overwhelmed
Without needing to force, the Bergamasques slowly put their game in place and showed that they indeed had formidable tactical certainties. The races and movements of each player were precise and the very mobile Charles De Ketelaere quickly found the post after an axial breakthrough from Teun Koopmeiners who had surprised Samuel Gigot, who had gone too high (6th). It was a first alert for the Phocaeans, unable to use the ball well due to a failing midfielder facing Italian pressing.
Alone to the right of the zone of truth, Gianluca Scamacca was also able to try his luck without finding the target (16th). Overwhelmed, the Marseillais also lacked aggression and let the giant Italian attacker find the crossbar of Pau Lopez from a corner. The Spanish goalkeeper had to deflect De Ketelaere’s recovery immediately (24th). OM tried to respond and left their camp but were immediately punished. Lookman took advantage of the space left by Jonathan Clauss to challenge Geoffrey Kondogbia and open the scoring with a cross strike (1-0, 30th).
Atalanta rolled out
Lookman could still have punished the Olympians’ defensive errors (34th). The reactive Pau Lopez did everything he could to lighten the bill by interposing against De Ketelaere (36th) or seeing Scamacca then Davide Zappacoste shoot wide of the target (40th and 44th). Absolutely incapable of serving their attackers Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Iliman Ndiaye, the Olympians were clearly doing well with only one goal behind at the break.
They wanted to react to the restart but Ndiaye, finally launched in depth, missed the visitors’ only real opportunity at the same time as his lob against the opposing goalkeeper Juan Musso (50th). The Bergamasques responded immediately and their left piston Ruggeri made the break by piercing the Marseille defense (2-0, 52nd).
The substitutions made by Jean-Louis Gasset and the transition from 3-5-2 to 4-4-2 diamond did not change anything despite a distant free kick sent without really meaning to the crossbar by Jordan Veretout (63rd). Serene because sure of its strength, the Atalanta of maestro Gian Piero Gasperini concluded its great evening with a goal from the former Rémois Touré (3-0, 90th + 4). She will play her very first European final on May 22 against Leverkusen who resisted the revolt of Roma (2-2). Completely weaned from balls, Aubameyang ended up in tears faced with the confirmation of the helplessness of his away team in this tumultuous season.
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