Marseille-Feyenoord 0-0: Dutch in the Conference final with Roma

After the five goals seen in the first leg, in the return they end up with white nets and Arne Slot’s team flies to Tirana. After 20 years, the Rotterdam team wins a European final

The infernal thrust of the Velodrome is not enough. The wall of Feyenoord does not fall, Marseille do not even find the goal that would have extended the match to extra time. After the five goals seen in the first leg, none are seen in the return. So to reach Rome are the Dutch, who for the fourth time will play the final of a European competition twenty years after the last.

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the strategies

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The atmosphere is that of great occasions. Over 70 thousand spectators, in a climate of protest against UEFA and emotion, in the thirtieth anniversary of the Furiani tragedy. A minute of silence was observed for the 18 victims who lost their lives in the Bastia stadium. As for the formations, only in Marseille can we see something different. Sampaoli keeps Caleta-Car out, protagonist in negative to De Kuip, and Kamara moves back on the line of defenders, inserting Gueye in midfield. Compared to the first leg, Bakambu also ends up on the bench – Harit is preferred – along with Milik and Under. Slot does not care about turnover, it has its very own players and does not change them: they are the same ones who took to the field both in the first act of the challenge and in the last game of the championship, lined up with the 4-2-3-1 led by the top scorer of the Dessers competition.

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The first half

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As expected, it is the French who play the game. The offensive production is entrusted to Payet’s inventions, the first ring arrives at 10 ‘when he receives in the center of the area and his shot is returned in a providential way. Ten minutes later a good transition allows him to receive on the right, he returns to the left-handed but the conclusion at the turn ends just a few centimeters from the intersection. At half an hour the playmaker is forced to leave the field due to a muscle injury that comes after the attempt to throw Rongier on the wing. Sampaoli sends in Milik, who stands out a couple of times without giving strength to the head shots: Marciano blocks without problems in both cases. In the final of the first half Feyenoord also faces forward, with Dessers who works the ball well and gives it to Til, whose volley is intercepted by Saliba and goes out not far from the posts of Mandanda, displaced by the deviation (39 ‘) .

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After the break

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The recovery begins with a novelty in Marseille, Lirola takes the place of Gueye. At 55 ‘good triangulation of Rongier close to the edge of the area, less dangerous the shot that arrives docile in the hands of the opposing goalkeeper. The Dutch respond with Trauner, who remained ahead after the development of a corner kick, but shoots high. The best chance of the second half happens on Lirola’s feet in the 77th minute: the former Fiorentina receives after a corner, the left is soiled enough by Aursnes who avoids greater risks. Over time the match gets nervous, fouls and interruptions are more frequent, due to the anger of Sampaoli unleashed on the sidelines. A hint of a fight sees Malacia and Guendouzi as protagonists, but the referee Scharer only scolds them verbally. The OM is increasingly unbalanced, especially with the entrances of Bakambu and Under, and Feyenoord does not take advantage of the spaces by wasting the opportunities of the coup de grace in open field in several moments. Jahanbakhsh forces Mandanda to the first save of the match at the start of recovery with a diagonal from the right, two closures by Luan Peres prevent Dessers from finding himself alone in front of the goal. In the end the score does not change, the Slot team holds up the impact of the Velodrome and flies to Tirana.

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