Four days before a very important trip to Frankfurt in the Champions League, this new failure is obviously worrying for the Marseillais.

However, the three reverses of this sad series are not very similar.

Against Ajaccio, OM inadvertently lost (2-1), in Paris, they fell against someone stronger than them (1-0), while this Saturday, they sinned a bit through bad luck and a bit awkwardness at the end of a good level summit between two teams which have shown that they deserve their status as candidates for Europe.

Thursday, Marseille coach Igor Tudor assured that he was not looking at the classification.

And now?

He should perhaps, because his team could slip to 6th place at the end of the 12th day on Sunday, in the event of success of Rennes (5th) and Monaco (6th), other direct rivals for the qualification in the Champions League .

Intensity Peak

OM however did not have a bad game on Saturday, but they really struggled to score and gave in on an unfortunate action, Pereira Da Costa's shot being deflected by Balerdi, who lobbed Pau Lopez (1-0, 79th ).

OM striker Alexis Sanchez against Lens, October 22, 2022 in Marseille Nicolas TUCAT AFP

A little over a year ago, the duel between the two teams at the Vélodrome, won by Lens (3-2), had already been formidable and had deeply marked Jorge Sampaoli, shocked by the intensity of the game of Sang and Gold and the brutality of their counterattacks.

Saturday, the match was of the same barrel, at least the first period, real peak of intensity on the scale of L1.

In a great atmosphere despite the closure of the bottom of the South Bend, the two teams indeed fought a furious battle, without either of them managing to take the advantage.

Even if Openda (10th) and Fofana (37th) were dangerous on the Blood and Gold side, it was still Marseille who came closest to opening the scoring, with attempts from Harit (30th) and Sanchez ( 44th) thwarted by Samba, or Clauss, very close to scoring against his former team on a dream pass from Sanchez (44th).

Meanwhile, from the 20th minute, Tudor had already brought out Kolasinac, back from injury and obviously embarrassed in his right leg, as much as by the activity of Openda and Sotoca and by a yellow card received from the start.

The C1 to heal

The Bosnian's exit is not very good news for the OM defence, which will still be deprived of Gigot (suspended) next week in Strasbourg and while Bailly's physical condition, absent on Saturday, is not not known.

In the meantime, it is Gueye who has become third central defender, with more or less success, but without OM being too weakened, the Tudor team only conceding a few snatches of chances to Lensois and Fofana especially before Pereira Da Costa's goal.

Lens striker Seko Fofana (g) is ahead of Marseille captain Valentin Rongier, on October 22, 2022 in Marseille Nicolas TUCAT AFP

OM for their part really should have scored, by Mbemba who shot at Samba in an excellent position (63rd) or by Guendouzi, narrowly stopped by Danso (75th).

But the Marseillais did not succeed and here they are in a much less favorable situation than 15 days ago in L1, when they were undefeated and solid second.

From Wednesday, the Champions League can act as a miracle drug.

But L1 remains a priority and before the World Cup, OM only have big matches, in Strasbourg, against Lyon and Monaco.

© 2022 AFP