This Saturday during the 32nd day of Ligue 1, Montpellier and Marseille have in turn deserved to win and the defeat would have been unfair for the two teams, so it is on a 3-3 draw, snatched by the Héraultais in the last seconds, that the two candidates for the 5th place went their separate ways on Saturday after a great match.
Goals, twists and turns, blood shots, a post, a red card and a great battle of ragpickers in the rain: it is in its kind an excellent match that the two teams played.
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The stake of this real direct confrontation was modest, however, the 5th place and the Europa League, at best. But Héraultais and Provençaux have given everything to maintain their momentum. Montpellier (7th) has not lost since 13 matches and Marseille (6th) has taken 10 points in five games since the arrival of Jorge Sampaoli.
OM had not made it easy, however, by inventing the handicap match. Because in the 28th second (!), Montpellier was already ahead thanks to Delort, author on the quickest goal of the season.
Served by Ferri behind the back of the three Marseille central defenders, more scattered than aligned, the center forward lobbed Mandanda, out of time, and celebrated his goal in the arms of its president Laurent Nicollin once the VAR gave him permission to do so.
Milik’s class
The Marseillais logically accused the blow and had trouble existing, with strikes without great danger from Thauvin or Milik to hide the lack of spontaneity and sharpness.
Sampaoli had chosen at the start a tactical adjustment with a 3-1-4-2 where Thauvin found himself for once on the left. But the innovation lasted only half an hour before a return of the world champion to the right, which coincided with the awakening of the Provençaux.
Marseille first came back to the score in the 43rd minute on a very beautiful goal from Milik who, after a relay from Kamara, pierced full axis the defense of Montpellier and gave the passage a blow of old, in the form of a small bridge, to Hilton, before cheating on Omlin.
Sampaoli’s men even found a way to return to the locker room with the advantage thanks to Gueye, scorer in the 46th minute (2-1) after a shot from Thauvin pushed back on his line by Hilton.
Caleta-Car exclu
But OM still struggled with the start of the period since just one minute after the break, Montpellier equalized thanks to Laborde, launched by Ferri. This action illustrated how the Marseille left side is defensively damaged when Amavi, Nagatomo and Sakai are absent. Luis Henrique, against employment, and Caleta-Car, a terrible passivity, could not do anything against the home scorer.
At the hour of play, Caleta-Car increased its record with a red card for an intervention as brutal as useless on Junior Sambia and OM seemed in danger.
The Croatian’s fault came at a time when the tension was very high, the match not being played precisely in a good spirit and the Mosson echoing the cries of Sampaoli, angry with just about everyone. Not to mention a few forbidden words from Savanier, Payet or Der Zakarian that we can now hear in the silence of the empty stadiums.
OM had enough character to return to the front thanks to the replacement Perrin, scorer of the head on a free kick from Payet (3-2, 71st) and after a shot on the post from Savanier (83rd) and a miracle from Mandanda in additional time ahead of Congress, OM strongly believed in their victory.
But in a last rush, Montpellier equalized by Laborde, scorer with a plunging header on a volley center from Souquet. Each team has therefore taken a point and will have the right to find that it is not very expensive paid for its efforts.
“It’s more the disappointment that prevails”
Steve Mandanda (Marseille goalkeeper and captain, at the microphone of Canal +): It’s difficult because we start the two periods badly, by taking two goals from the start. After we come back well, at ten we manage to put the third but finally we are equalized.
We will continue to work, we must master and understand what the coach asks, put a little more foot on the ball when necessary and be more solid and lucid. We take boxes, we yell, we get into trouble on our own. It is difficult to analyze, there it is more the disappointment that prevails. We will continue to work to try to grab this 5th important place for us.
Gaëtan Laborde (Montpellier striker): We have a difficult first period, where we manage to score directly before suffering a lot. We had a great second half. It’s a shame that we take this goal on a set piece (that of 3-2, editor’s note), but it’s good to snatch the equalizer, it shows the mentality of the team which is top.
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