For the 6th consecutive time, Strasbourg resisted Olympique de Marseille (1-1). Emanuel Emegha opened the scoring and Mason Greenwood equalized from the penalty spot. Until the end the match wavered, without choosing its winner.
L’Marseille Olympic does not like to confront Strasbourg and since 2022, i.e. 5 matches, the Alsatians have taken great pleasure in slowing down the Phocaeans (4 draws, 1 victory).
Roberto de Zerbi also wanted to take revenge on Liam Rosenior after the defeat in the first leg at Meinau (1-0). He was not granted with this draw (1-1).
Emegha, a school goal
Although Racing has a workforce with an average age of 23, automation is more important than experience. RDZ has relaunched Lilian Brassier in defense, which shifted Derek Cornelius on the right of the defense at 3. Without Valentin Rongierslightly injured, it is Bilal Nadir which started.
Although deprived of Diego Moreirathe only scorer in the first leg injured, Strasbourg posed many difficulties for the Marseillais, particularly in the recovery. While Neal Maupay – The Best Of Neal Maupay had taken the best of Mamadou Sarr on his first catches of the ball, the defender then survived, capable of being sharp while avoiding a yellow card despite three close faults in the first period.
And Mason Greenwood was sometimes hit, the Englishman did not manage to create the imbalance. On the contrary, the Alsatians remained hermetic defensively thanks to an enormous work of withdrawal embodied by Felix Lemarechal. Better still, they opened the scoring.
In the 17th minute, Emanuel Emegha had been close to scoring a gag goal when he had blocked the restart of Leonardo Balerdi and that Geronimo Rulli had shifted, leaving the cages completely open. The Dutchman has worked up an appetite. And while Racing had not yet set foot in the opposing area, Andrey Santos and Emegha played against the Marseille defense with rare intelligence. The Brazilian did not serve his teammate on the first call for fear of offside. The attacker had time to make a new call and, launched at the right tempo, he had no difficulty in adjusting Rulli, completely abandoned (23rd). His 7th goal of the season.
The duels were tough and it was Racing who set the pace for the match. Established on the left, Abdoul Ouattara shifted Sebastian Nanasi who crossed back and was blocked; if he had raised his head, he would probably have seen Rulli who had anticipated (33rd).
And OM in all this? He only got one real shiver, coming from the foot of Luis Henriquescorer against Lille in the Coupe de France in midweek. Off-center on the right side, his powerful shot was not as successful: it missed the target (38th). It was only the second Olympian shot, after a harmless header from Cornelius from a corner (36th).
-Vaz, a decisive entry for OM
De Zerbi did not want to lose the benefit of the previous day and he made two changes with the entries of Pol Lirola et Robinio Vaz for Cornelius and Maupay. The Marseillais accelerated but Greenwood (47th) then Luis Henrique (51st) missed the target.
Tempers were starting to heat up, like Greenwood and Ismaël Doukourédespite the VAR verification (56th). OM was now laying siege. While touching, Luis Henrique completed two dribbles before hitting the left: post! On the rebound, Djordje Petrovic performed a reflex parade before Quentin Merlinon the field for a few moments, is countered (64th).
The pressure was ever greater. Luis Henrique found Greenwood’s head but Petrovic caught it without problem. And it was finally the novice in Ligue 1, Vaz, who unlocked everything. On the right side of the area, he pushed Santos into a mistake even though he was not in a dangerous position at that level of the action. Greenwood converted the penalty and took the opportunity to take sole lead in the ranking of top scorer in the championship with 12 goals (68th).
Marseille had the wind at their backs… but Nanasi, with one swing of his paw, pierced the entire Olympian defense. Emegha found himself in the same situation as in the first period, Rulli slipped when leaving, the Dutchman took his ball which ricocheted off the post before Merlin kicked for a corner (72nd). On the corner that followed, at the end of the sequence, Rulli held his near post tightly so as not to be surprised by a shot without an angle (73rd).
After this scare, OM almost scored an exceptional goal. From the right side, Greenwood looked for Merlin on the left: the full-back crossed with a volley on Vaz who missed his move when the goal was available to him (79th). On a new opening, Greenwood launched his compatriot Jonathan Rowe. In the fight with Guéla Douéhe collapsed in the area but this did not allow him to obtain a penalty (81st).
At the end of stoppage time, Strasbourg got a final action but Rulli blocked Jérémy Sebas’ shot (90th + 6). Continuing on, Vaz succeeded in his hook to open the path to goal but it was blocked at the last minute (90th + 6).
For the 6th time in a row, Racing slows down OM who nevertheless remain firmly in their second place with 5 lengths ahead of Lille.
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