We have never seen very clearly in group D, so homogeneous and uncertain that everyone can still believe in their chances of attacking the 6th and last day.

But everyone has made their calculations and the Marseillais now know their roadmap: if they beat Tottenham, they will play the knockout stages of the Champions League, a level that the club has not reached since 2012, when Didier Deschamps was in command.

If they lose, however, the European season will be over for them, while a draw would give them a chance to continue the adventure via the Europa League, provided that Frankfurt beat Sporting Portugal in the other match of the chicken.

Beyond mathematics, the main problem for the Marseillais is that they arrive at this "game of the year" with a fairly low confidence gauge, siphoned off by recent results, only one victory in the last six games, for four defeats and a draw, Saturday in Strasbourg (2-2).

Expedited Tudor

This trip to La Meinau was quite symptomatic of OM's current ailments, far from being catastrophic but which cannot manage to do everything well and thus conceded two goals in the last quarter of an hour after having absolutely mastered the gone for an hour.

"I don't think there is any doubt before Tottenham. Everyone wants to play this match and we will be super motivated," said Igor Tudor, more than exasperated during a freezing press conference which took place. just over three minutes.

After being very good on the pitch again, goalkeeper Pau Lopez was a little more talkative to present the match against Tottenham, where he spent a season without playing in 2016-17, and explain the current difficulties of OM .

OM goalkeeper Pau Lopez in Marseille on October 22, 2022 Nicolas TUCAT AFP / Archives

"We started the season very well and in the last four-five games we lost a lot of points. It's difficult but we have to continue. We still have three very difficult and important games before the break. We want to do something in the Champions League and then there is Lyon and Monaco. We want to win these three matches to finish well before the World Cup," assured the Spaniard.

"If we do something good, all the fans will be happy. When we lost our first two Champions League games, nobody thought we could get there. We have to do 100% of what Igor asks of us and then we will have to play a perfect match, without any mistakes, otherwise it will be difficult," he added.

Forget Liverpool

To believe it, OM can relate to Tottenham's chaotic journey this season.

The Londoners have never been sovereign in Group D, shaken in the first leg by OM until the expulsion of Mbemba and beaten by Sporting Portugal.

Harry Kane in London on October 31, 2022 Adrian DENNIS AFP

This weekend, Antonio Conte's men, suspended on Tuesday, were also down 2-0 on the lawn of Bournemouth before winning 3-2 in extremis, in a sort of mirror match of that of OM in Strasbourg.

The Marseillais will also be able to count on the ardor of the Vélodrome, even if it will be amputated from its North Bend, suspended after the incidents of the match against Frankfurt.

But they will especially try to forget the last "group final" played against an English club in the Champions League.

In 2007, OM had received Liverpool in a burning Velodrome and the objective was to win to pass.

A penalty conceded in the 3rd minute and a second goal conceded in the 11th had considerably refreshed the atmosphere, the Reds finally winning 4-0.

© 2022 AFP