Europa League Conference – OM – Feyenoord – After two hitches, the week of all dangers for Marseille

Beyond confirming a trend that is working against the big guys this season, Jorge Sampaoli’s team got into an awkward position last week. Not yet prohibitive, far from it. Overthrowing the Feyenoord at the Velodrome is in his strings. Maintain – or increase – his three-point lead from the top of his second place in Ligue 1 too. This is obviously the whole issue of the Olympian week. But without falling into alarmism, the first reflex is rather, given the series, to imagine that Marseille can lose a lot on its next two meetings.

There is first this semi-final second leg, therefore. By dint of progressing there, OM and their supporters have obviously taken a liking to this C4, which they imagine – and we can’t blame them – for a few weeks now. An elimination on Thursday and the month of May would suddenly become much less exciting. Then comes the trip to Lorient on Sunday.

From a second place almost locked to threatened, there is only one step

Among Hakes who are fighting for their survival in the elite, the slightest misstep could allow Rennes and / or Monaco to pick up second place. A week before going to the Rouge et Noir, and two before receiving Strasbourg, another candidate for Europe. In two weeks, second place, synonymous with direct qualification for the next Champions League, could thus go from almost locked to seriously threatened.

But the projections are worth what they are worth, which is not much. So the facts remain: the causes of Marseille’s ailments over the past two matches. Against Feyenoord, OM were jostled and awkward. « We missed it completely, especially in the first half when we had a lot of individual errors, a lot of technical errors. It’s not like us, it’s not OM, it’s not what we’ve been doing since the start of the season. It’s not worthy of a semi-final. »pestered Matteo Guendouzi on M6 after the meeting.

Sunday evening, Pau Lopez was then one of the few to analyze the defeat against Lyon other than through the prism of arbitration, at the microphone of Prime Video. « I think they won because they played better than us. I don’t know what I can say, because it was very important for people today. I’m sorry for the fans, especially for them because it was very important to win against Lyon. Today they were better ». During the Olympico, Marseille actually showed a very unexciting face, in the game as in the areas of truth.

Unconvincing replacements

The turnover operated by Sampaoli on Sunday, with Matteo Guendouzi and Valentin Rongier on the bench in particular, cost his team a lot. But it had to be, as certain elements appear physically dulled, or risked becoming so. Still, the usual substitutes, like Pol Lirola and Sead Kolasinac, were not at the level, while the clumsiness of Arkadiusz Milik, with whom the Argentine coach continues to grope, fueled the debate on his place in the Marseille eleven .

In the Netherlands three days earlier, it was that of Bamba Dieng who had already been expensive despite the goal of the Senegalese international. A lack of efficiency which concerns both surfaces: OM took six goals in two matches, while suffering only five shots on target each time. Here again, from Duje Caleta-Car against Feyenoord to William Saliba on Lyon’s second goal, via the confidence of Pau Lopez which continues to crumble, certain individualities can be singled out. Multiple warning signs not to be overlooked. Because if they repeat themselves, OM could ruin everything.