The OM players owed revenge to their public, angry after the defeats against Paris SG and Annecy, and they therefore came very close to reconciliation and a victory which would have been synonymous with an excellent operation in the classification.

But two goals in quick succession from Jean-Eudes Aholou, first on the second half from a corner (2-1, 88th) then from a terrible strike in the top corner the next minute (2-2, 89th), ruined everything.

As there is still a qualification for the Champions League to go and OM still remain second, with two points ahead of Lens and five over Monaco, the Vélodrome only whistled briefly before singing again "Go Om".

But after Kevin Gameiro equalized at the last second with an incredible volley in the top corner in the first leg, Strasbourg will have definitely cost OM dearly this season.

Before kick-off, a few banners deployed in the two corners had already come to remind us that the slap inflicted by PSG (3-0) then the accident at Annecy in the Cup had not yet been forgotten.

The Marseillais stunned after the draw against Strasbourg, March 12, 2023 at the Vélodrome stadium © Christophe SIMON / AFP

And the first minutes confirmed that OM are certainly not going through their best period of the season with a sharp strike from Ruslan Malinovskyi (19th), some excesses and fantasies from Nuno Tavares on the left, but above all much less pressing and intensity than in its finest hours.

Thunderbolt

Opposite, with his more than 600 matches played in L1, Frédéric Antonetti knows his business and felt that there was undoubtedly a blow to be played against this OM.

Strasbourg was thus dangerous on a few counterattacks, via Morgan Sanson (10th) or Thomas Delaine (27th), before placing his first banderilla.

The Marseillais Jonathan Clauss (g) in the fight with the Strasbourgeois Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, March 12, 2023 at the Vélodrome stadium © Christophe SIMON / AFP

On a long opening from the former Marseillais Morgan Sanson and a bloody call from Habib Diallo, the entire OM defense was caught in the depths.

Leonardo Balerdi, he had the bad idea to touch the Senegalese striker, who collapsed and pushed Mr. Pignard to show the red card.

Until the break, OM then managed their numerical inferiority, rather painfully.

But on returning from the locker room, Marseille had an opportunity to give another meaning to this badly embarked match, and he seized it.

From a well-placed free kick, Malinovskyi struck hard and on target, which was enough to put Matz Sels in trouble.

The Strasbourg goalkeeper badly repelled the shot from the Ukrainian and Chancel Mbemba popped up to open the scoring (1-0, 49th).

Sead Kolasinac's injury was then a new difficulty on the way to OM, but the penalty obtained by Alexis Sanchez for a shirt pulling seemed to be enough to keep Marseille happy.

The Chilean transformed it with a cross shot (2-0, 76th) and the Tudor team then only had to hold on for a quarter of an hour.

Strasbourg's Gerzino Nyamsi shoots on goal in front of Marseille's Jordan Veretout (d), March 12, 2023 at the Vélodrome stadium © CHRISTOPHE SIMON / AFP

The Croatian technician's changes did not help him, but neither he nor his players were really guilty of the thunderclap signed Aholou on the equalizing goal.

Punished at the end of the match, OM therefore remain an average team at home.

Next week she will be outside where she shines.

But it will be in Reims, invincible for 19 games in L1.

© 2023 AFP