From the first minutes of the game, the Strasbourg residents imposed their game ideas on the uninspired Marseillais. The high pressing of the Alsatians put Roberto De Zerbi’s players in a difficult situation, who had not experienced such opposition since the start of the season. Struggling to create chances, we had to wait until the 44the minute of play to see Mason Greenwood score OM’s first shot of the evening, a shot from outside the area pushed back by Dorde Petrovic, who was not called upon much during the first act.
Opposite, Geronimo Rulli also had a fairly quiet first part of the match, only worried by distant strikes from Dilane Bakwa (14e) or Sebastian Nanasi (19e). The Olympian goalkeeper then kept the score goalless in a face-to-face with Emanuel Emegha (33e). The attacker, like an off-target header (28e), was gaining momentum with his team. The Strasbourg side, more enthusiastic and enterprising, were rewarded with Diego Moreira’s first professional goal, whose cross shot passed between Rulli’s legs and ended up in the back of the net (1-0, 40e).
Rabiot makes his debut
If the second period resumed as the first had ended, with a new save from Rulli against Emegha (47e), the Marseillais then gradually gained strength. Mason Greenwood put a cold sweat down the backs of Strasbourg supporters with shots off target (49e69e) and forced Petrovic into an impressive save (54e). The Serbian goalkeeper won again with a point-blank shot from Neal Maupay (63e).
