Marseille's record in C1 is dramatic with now 16 defeats in the last 17 matches.

This season, in a pool D which seemed accessible, they did not score a point after two matches, nor even a goal.

As much as the defeat (2-0) in London last week gave rise to some hope, Tuesday's defeat cast a cruel light on the shortcomings of OM, against a Frankfurt team that was however without genius.

The Champions League, the Vélodrome had been deprived of it by the Covid in 2020 and he had been waiting for this for a long time.

So the stadium and the Marseille public were there and made a hell of a racket, and firecrackers too, throughout a tense evening.

German and Marseille supporters threw smoke bombs and fireworks at each other, which could lead to penalties for the Marseille club, or even a match behind closed doors.

In town, the incidents, on the other hand, remained relatively contained with eight arrests, in addition to the eight of the day before.

without quality

Marseille believed in it but the banner "Europe will tremble, here are the Marseillais again" deployed in the North Bend under a huge tifo representing the Cup with big ears was undoubtedly excessive.

Because decidedly, OM can't do it in C1.

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The victory of Sporting Lisbon against Tottenham (2-0), which makes the Portuguese club the unexpected leader of the group with six points having faced the same opponents as OM, is another bad news for the team of Igor You sleep.

Marseille will now face the Portuguese twice, and these are probably their last chances to turn things around.

By aligning the Payet-Gerson-Sanchez trio, Tudor thought, however, to find the quality that had been lacking in London.

But during the first period, tense and hesitant, the Chilean missed two good chances (12th in the small net and 23rd above after a cross from Tavares), while the Brazilian and the N.10 were rather handicapping for their team's play, slow and uninspired.

Tudor also replaced all three of them at the same time before the hour mark, and Gerson came out under a huge roar, which must have made him understand that he was far from his level, expectations and selection. Brazilian a few weeks before the World Cup.

Bailly wounded

Opposite, Frankfurt, 11th in the Bundesliga and indisputably good pick of hat 1, however seemed average, dangerous only on a few shots from the former Nantes player Kolo Muani, decidedly talented.

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But OM offered the Germans the opener, in an action where everyone defended poorly and after which an intervention by Rongier turned into a decisive pass for Lindström (1-0, 43rd).

At the heart of a horrible start to the second period from OM, the same Lindström hit the bar and Marseille was then at its worst.

OM were not at the end of their worries with Bailly's injury, added to the unavailability of Gigot (also injured) and Mbemba (suspended).

But the combined entries of Under, Suarez and especially Harit still gave a little energy to the Marseille team.

The Provençaux then had a few opportunities to equalize, through Rongier (67th) then Suarez (70th), both too clumsy to allow their team to exist at this level.

Pau Lopez for his part saved OM twice in front of Kolo Muani (75th and 81st) and the score did not move.

Still too small for greater Europe, OM must already look to Sunday and the arrival of Rennes in L1, a competition where they are up to the task, in second place.

© 2022 AFP