Knowing how to be effective on both surfaces is the key to success. Especially in the European Cup. Marseille gave the perfect example against Qarabag (3-1). OM have not really taken over their collective quality. But he was able to count on strong individuals on both sides of the field. The premiere was expected. Arkadiusz Milik confirmed his sparkling form of the moment with a saving double at the end of the first period. The second was much less so. But if there is one man to remember in this match, it is certainly Steve Mandanda.
The 36-year-old doorman was the chief surprise in the starting lineup concocted by Jorge Sampaoli. It was only his 8th game this season. He had not played since January 2 and OM’s victory over Chauvigny (0-3) in the round of 16 of the Coupe de France. The alternation that seemed to be taking shape with Pau Lopez in this competition did not go any further. The Spaniard had regained his place in the Marseille goal in the round of 16 won against Montpellier (1-1, 6-5 on pens), then in the quarter-final lost to Nice (4-1).
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Mandanda thus seemed condemned to follow the end of the season from the sidelines. Sampaoli finally decided otherwise by starting him against Qarabag. And the Argentinian had a hollow nose. The man with 601 matches in the OM jersey made two decisive saves to reassure everyone at the start of the match. Just to set the tone for a remarkable performance, with a decisive presence on set pieces, often inspired raises and other saves including one, exceptional, on an attempt by Kady in the last quarter of an hour.
“I played my role as best as I could”
Without him, the result could have been very different for OM. And the goal conceded at the end of the game, on which he had nothing to reproach himself for, did not tarnish his remarkable performance. “It was a complicated gamehe acknowledged. We played a team that had a lot of desire. We struggled to create the first chances. Of course it’s not our best game but we won, that’s the main thing. They had a lot of situations, after I played my role as best as I could, I’m happy individually and collectively.”
Mandanda proved that OM could always count on him. It’s all to his credit. The indestructible goalkeeper and captain of OM saw his status in a club he embodied until then change radically when Sampaoli relegated him to the rank of understudy for Lopez at the start of the season. He necessarily had a bad experience of this situation but he did not spread it publicly. Out of respect for his club and his teammates, he never claimed anything, accepting his role with exemplary professionalism. And despite a starving playing time, Mandanda was able to be ready.
His performance against Qarabag is the best reward for an element with an irreproachable state of mind. A perfect soldier on whom OM can always count. “Steve, like since the start of the season, made a very clean game with decisive savesunderlined Dimitri Payet, author of the third goal for OM against Qarabag, at the microphone of Canal +. But hey, we don’t doubt Steve anymore, it’s no longer relevantIt remains to be seen whether Sampaoli will start him again next week for the return match. The certainty is that Mandanda is ready. As always.
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