Juba Touabi, Media365, published on Tuesday January 14, 2025 at 11:43 p.m.
Olympique de Marseille saw their run in the Coupe de France come to a brutal end, beaten by Lille during an intense evening at the Orange Vélodrome.
LOSC won at the end of the suspense, thanks to a controlled penalty shootout (3-4), after a thrilling match which ended with a score of parity (1-1) at the end of the regulation time. From the first minutes, the intensity was there. Boosted by the excited atmosphere of its audience, Marseille took the slight advantage. However, Lille's efficiency and a solid performance from Vito Mannone made the difference in the decisive moments.
OM seemed ready to make the difference in the first half, with clear chances like that of Mason Greenwood in the 36th minute. Launched in depth, the English striker saw his duel stopped by a masterful intervention from Mannone. Two minutes later, the stadium believed the score was open with a strike from Neal Maupay, but the goal was canceled for an obvious handball.
Marseille equalizes in the last moments
On the other side, Lille lost Gudmundsson to injury, but remained threatening. Despite Marseille's clear domination, the two teams returned to the locker rooms back to back, unable to find the fault. The second half got off to a flying start. From the 46th minute, Lille thought they would open the score, but Mitchel Bakker's goal was refused for a prior handball. It was finally in the 69th minute that the Mastiffs took the lead. Clear action between Thomas Meunier and Jonathan David allowed Hákon Haraldsson to finish with composure. The young Icelander scored his third goal of the season, giving Lille a valuable advantage.
Marseille, despite a glaring lack of offensive creativity, did not give up. And in the final seconds of added time, Luis Henrique lit up the Vélodrome with a sumptuous curling shot, bringing his team back to level (1-1). Hope was reborn for the Olympians. Buoyed by this equalizer, Marseille approached the penalty shootout with confidence. Greenwood opened the ball successfully, but Mannone's decisive saves on shots from Luis Henrique and Rowe sealed the fate of the Marseillais. Alexsandro, author of the winning shot on goal for Lille, propelled his team into the round of 16.
For the Marseillais, the elimination is cruel, especially after Luis Henrique's exploit at the end of the match. But OM will have to quickly turn the page to concentrate on their upcoming championship and European Cup matches. For their part, Lille continues their adventure in the Coupe de France, harboring great ambitions for the rest of the competition.
