Marseille (AFP)

Humiliated Sunday by the Paris SG (4-0), Olympique Marseille wants to head out of the water Wednesday in Monaco, in the final of the Coupe de la Ligue, to avoid the spiral infernal before two receptions to high risk in L1, against Lille then Lyon.

André Villas-Boas, the OM coach, tried to save the face on Sunday night at the Parc des Princes, praising the "incredible attitude" of his players in the second half, when they no longer conceded no goal: "Now we turn to the games that interest us, now we will play against the teams of our championship".

Certainly the PSG is dominating. But the Olympians seemed to have integrated the defeat even before entering the field, on the 11th day of the L1. Result: a first "clasico" lost with 4 goals since January 8, 1978 (5-1), the time of Marius Treasury and Albert Emon. And the visit at the foot of the Rock Wednesday night does not look ideal to cure his bruises to the soul against Monegasques victorious 4 of their last 5 meetings.

"It's important to recover the guys mentally, recover this team," warned Sunday evening "AVB". To motivate them, he can certainly remind them of this 4-3 victory of madness on September 15, on the same lawn of Monaco. But it was the fifth day of the championship, an eternity ago. OM signed its third win in a row. In the next six games, the Olympians won only one victory against the Strasbourg red lantern.

After the open-ended defense against Mbappé and Argentina's Icardi on Sunday, OM will have to tighten the bolts. And the Portuguese coach may have to revise his tactical scheme after the Parisian failure: "On the trap of the offside is my responsibility," he had immediately recognized.

Return of Spaniard Alvaro Gonzalez in central defense, or even young Lucas Perrin? Lateral changes after the calvary experienced by Bouna Sarr and Hiroki Sakai face the arrows in Paris? It seems difficult for André Villas Boas to change nothing after such a slap.

- Without Benedetto -

Another advantage: Monaco is not the PSG and the ASM should in addition be deprived of its double attack, with the package of Islam Slimani, touched adductor, and the probable resting of Wissam Ben Yedder the former Sevillan, leading scorers with 9 goals.

To hope to clinch his ticket for the round of 16 in the Coupe de la Ligue, OM will also have to score. And since the victory in Monaco is precisely a problem, with only five goals in six games. Knowing that the top scorer in Marseille, Argentina's Dario Benedetto (5 goals), will be suspended, the task will not be easy.

Only poor satisfaction of the OM Sunday Park, Dimitri Payet will be one of the main assets Marseille in Monaco. After four games of suspension, he showed some nice moves despite the final result. And the Reunionese could probably still gain in efficiency if "AVB" aligned in the axis and not in this position eccentric left where he isolates himself.

Triple winner of the Coupe de la Ligue in 2010, 2011 and 2012, each time with Didier Deschamps as coach, OM would definitely leave this competition Wednesday night in case of defeat. Born in 1995, this trophy will be awarded for the last time this season, after 26 editions.

One more reason therefore for the Marseillais to straighten the head, three days to welcome Lille in L1. Dogs who are two points ahead in the fight for the podium, the objective always displayed by Villas Boas.

© 2019 AFP