Overtaken on goals from Junior Messias (11th) and Olivier Giroud (29th), Tudor’s OM have their work cut out for them and they will not benefit from a grace period…
Because the supporters are already overwhelmed by a preparation far from living up to expectations, with three defeats, a draw and only one victory… against the fans of Marignane-Gignac.
The Croatian coach, replacing Jorge Sampaoli, was indeed freshly welcomed for his first performance at the Vélodrome by the 62,672 spectators. He can now measure the difference in level between his team and those he will face in five weeks in the Champions League.
After four friendly matches without much relief, OM had planned to conclude their summer preparation with a gala match. But against the Italian champion, the vice-champion of France will only have competed for ten minutes, the time for Gerson to land a floating strike without danger for Mike Maignan (9th).
The rest of the meeting was summed up in a clear and easy Italian domination, materialized by a school counterattack concluded by Junior Messias (11th) then by a school attack completed by Olivier Giroud (29th). Without several interventions from Ruben Blanco, author in particular of a double parade (31st), the score could have been much heavier.
– The defense takes on water, Kolasinac drowns –
The Vélodrome was not mistaken, he who returned from the middle of the first period the whistles intended for the Rossoneri towards his own players, unable to press or to move forward.
The Marseille defense, completely overhauled in the off-season, took on water until the break and particularly on the left side, held by Sead Kolasinac.
The Bosnian was replaced at half-time by Nuno Tavares, on loan from Arsenal and only arrived in Marseille on Saturday. The Portuguese, very serene, will have no trouble becoming a holder of the left piston position, but this is not the only project that awaits Tudor in the coming weeks.
The automatisms acquired last year are tenacious, in fact, and his players still feel comfortable with the possession game.
The Marseillais will therefore approach the resumption of the championship, Sunday (8:45 p.m.) against Reims, without certainties in the game even if they deceived during the second period against a Milan while managing, thanks to two shots from Arkadiusz Milik ( 46th, 76th) and a header from Jonathan Clauss (56th), by far the most applauded by the Velodrome during the presentation of the eight recruits (Blanco, Gigot, Mbemba, Touré, Elmaz, Clauss, Tavares, Suarez) ahead -match.
This gala poster, during which the young Isaak Touré (19) was excluded just six minutes after entering the game (79th), had however started well in the stands, with a tribute to Basoli Boli, hero of the victory in the League 1993 champions.
But the reality of the 90s is not that of the 2020s, and the fans quickly had to become disillusioned…