There was not the stunning final of the first leg, when a goal in extremis from Kolasinac had allowed OM to win 3-2 at Louis-II and definitively chase away what was already the beginning of a crisis. .

After the three points from the first leg, OM will therefore have to settle for a single point on the return leg and may regret not having extended their collection of consecutive successes to nine and not having managed a better operation, Rennes (5th) having lost and Lens (2nd) having drawn.

Marseille ultimately remains 3rd, two lengths behind the Sang et Or, and keeps its five-point lead over Monaco.

But it's probably a lesser evil given the first period of Saturday's game.

So attractive, and even impressive, against Troyes and Rennes, Marseille indeed took the match upside down this time, or was put in the wrong direction by Monaco, who for their part had prepared their case very well.

Very safe technically, with the impeccable Golovine and the stunning Ben Seghir, not intimidated at 17 by the Vélodrome and its 63,000 occupants, the team from the Principality immediately found plenty of space, especially on the left wing opponent.

Marseille midfielder Cengiz Ünder (g) against Monegasque Youssouf Fofana, January 28, 2023 at the Vélodrome stadium © CLEMENT MAHOUDEAU / AFP

Opposite, Rongier, Veretout, Malinovskyi and even Guendouzi, all at the same time in a bad evening, painfully directed a laborious and hesitant maneuver, far too slow to threaten the ASM.

Sanchez Festival

Philippe Clement's team therefore logically took the advantage on a goal scored by Veretout with a header against his side, on a good free kick from Golovine (1-0, 17th).

It then took a double miracle to save OM, with an astonishing save by Blanco, replacing Pau Lopez, on a ball stung by Ben Yedder, who then hit wide in the second half of the action.

This failure gave OM the chance to stay in the game and the end of the first period was less poor for Igor Tudor's team.

Marseille goalkeeper Ruben Blanco clears in front of Monegasque Aleksandr Golovine, January 28, 2023 at the Vélodrome stadium © CLEMENT MAHOUDEAU / AFP

So, after the break, the Croatian technician tried a tactical move by replacing Guendouzi with Balerdi, which notably had the effect of moving Nuno Tavares to the right.

Already quite unpredictable on the left, his natural side, the Portuguese proved difficult to read on the other wing for his opponents and he was at the origin of the equalizing goal with a powerful strike, on which the hands de Nübel, the Monegasque goalkeeper, really skated.

Alexis Sanchez followed, unlike Disasi, and OM came back into the game (1-1, 47th).

His second period was then infinitely better than the first, with a real festival of Sanchez, inexhaustible and inspired, but OM could not pass, despite a header on the bar from Balerdi or a beautiful volley from Payet.

The end of the match was breathtaking between cramps and more or less lucid last rushes and the two teams could have pulled off the piece.

They finally had to share it and are looking ahead, two championship days to come next week, then, for OM, the Coupe de France and Paris SG in ten days.

© 2023 AFP