Beaten by Real Madrid (2-1) this Tuesday for its return to the Champions League, Olympique de Marseille has reason to harbor regrets. That says everything about the face shown by the Phocaeans at Santiago Bernabéu. They suffered, a lot, but also displayed courageous game intentions and personality. For a team recently shaken by the Rabiot affair and a lackluster start to the season in the championship, completely overhauled throughout the summer, this is a big step. For its part, Real Madrid, not sovereign but generally dominant, achieved a fifth success in as many outings. A good working base for his new coach, Xabi Alonso.
The Merengues, reduced to 10 in the 72nd minute, escaped thanks to a double from Kylian Mbappé from the penalty spot. The Frenchman came within a few centimeters of opening the scoring in the 2nd, with an acrobatic return that Geronimo Rulli was happy to see miss his goal.
In the process, the Argentinian goalkeeper almost committed an embarrassing own goal by missing a check, but he caught himself at the last minute. He was then saved by his post, after a breakthrough from his young compatriot Franco Mastantuono (6th), then made a decisive save in front of Mbappé (10th). Illustration of a fragile OM at the start of the match, in difficulty against the high pressure of the Madrilenians.
Opening the score against the run of play
A first thrill ran through the stands in the 14th minute, when Timothy Weah’s curling shot landed just above the opposite corner. The son of the legendary George Weah – Ballon d’Or in 1995 – finished dampening the mood by winning a face-to-face with Thibaut Courtois (22nd), after being served in depth by Mason Greenwood who had just recovered the ball from the feet of Arda Güler at midfield, opening the score against the run of play.
Threatened again by Weah on a long shot repelled by Courtois (26th), Real got their heads back upright and did not wait long before being rewarded for their efforts. Stopped irregularly in the area by Geoffrey Kondogbia, Rodrygo was awarded a penalty which Mbappé transformed without trembling (29th).
Former Parisian Mbappé executioner of Marseillais
If the Merengues insisted on taking the advantage, Aurélien Tchouaméni (33rd), Mbappé (41st) and especially Mastantuono (45th+3) forcing Rulli into three other saves, Marseille obtained a serious 1-2 ball, which Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was unable to materialize. The Gabonese striker, who had overtaken Eder Militao to challenge Courtois, did not cross his shot sufficiently, finding the small outside net (39th).
In the second half, the bar saved Rulli following an attempt by Mbappé blocked by Aubameyang (50th). The latter came up against Courtois (57th). The match seemed to escape Real when Dani Carvajal was sent off for a slight headbutt to Rulli (72nd). But Xabi Alonso’s players benefited from a welcome penalty, awarded for an – involuntary – handball from Facundo Medina. Enough to allow Mbappé, the former Parisian who always took great pleasure in tormenting the Marseillais, to offer himself a double (81st) synonymous with victory.
Crazy draw between Juventus and Dortmund
In the other shock of the evening, Juventus Turin and Borussia Dortmund of Zurich goalkeeper Gregor Kobel (captain) parted in a breathtaking draw (4-4), where the eight goals were scored in the second half. BVB led 0-1, 1-2, 2-3 and up to 2-4. He was still two lengths ahead in the 90th + 4, before completely collapsing. Juve, three days after overthrowing Inter Milan in the championship (4-3), displayed their strength of character by managing to get back together.
The Azerbaijanis of Qarabag also demonstrated this in Lisbon, where they emerged 2-3 winners from a match which they lost 2-0, while Tottenham won by the smallest of margins against Villarreal (1-0), thanks to an early goal by Luiz Júnior against his camp (4th).
At the start of the evening, the Union Saint-Gilloise wrote a new page in its history. The Brussels club, crowned Belgian champion in the spring and which is enjoying success after decades of anonymity, won on the pitch of PSV Eindhoven (1-3) to achieve its first victory in the Champions League, in which it has never participated before. An event in which Marc Giger, the 21-year-old Zurich center forward who arrived from FC Schaffhausen in January, took part, replacing at kick-off and entering in the 67th minute.
In Bilbao, in the legendary San Mamés Athletic stadium, Arsenal successfully entered the competition by winning 0-2 thanks to goals from newcomers Gabriel Martinelli (72nd) and Leandro Trossard (87th).
