The final of the Coupe de France has slightly upset the calendar and it will be necessary to wait until Tuesday evening and the match Toulouse-Lens to know exactly what lead OM can count on before going to challenge the Blood and Gold in Bollaert. The gap will be at best four points, at worst one, but OM will go to the North as the runner-up of Paris SG.

For a long time, however, between the opening of the Auxerre score and the equalization signed Cengiz Under, all Marseille thought of all the points lost at home, against Ajaccio, Strasbourg, Nice or Montpellier, so many teams that, like Auxerre, do not play in its category.

But Igor Tudor's team has marrow and it did not give up, while the balls did not want to pass the line of Ionut Radu, the Auxerre goalkeeper, systematically braked, countered or blocked by a foot, a head or an opposing post.

At the break already, the statistics were quite telling: 75% possession for OM, 13 shots to three, 26 centers to three and ten corners to zero. And yet, without even having put more than one foot in the Marseille surface, it was Auxerre who was in front.

Championship's pace

Because on the second half of a free kick moderately cleared by Pau Lopez, Birama Touré had placed the ball in the skylight of an exceptional volley from the right of more than 20 meters (1-0, 33rd).

Marseille striker Cengiz Ünder, scorer against Auxerre, on April 30, 2023 at the Stade Vélodrome © CLEMENT MAHOUDEAU / AFP

At that moment, Marseille had only let his opponent breathe for a few minutes, after half an hour of asphyxiation. Bleeding and committed, carried by the superb atmosphere of the Velodrome, OM had done almost everything well and left Auxerre short of breath.

But Marseille could not score. Not up close, not from afar, not on a set kick, not on a mess, not on a constructed action. All of Tudor's attacking players tried their luck, but it was Vitinha who had the best chances and was the most clumsy, with three excellent situations between the 15th and 20th minutes.

After the rest, OM pushed again and the statistics swelled again. Auxerre suffered a siege and logically ended up lowering its weapons, twice in quick succession.

In the 75th minute, it was first Cengiz Under who with a beautiful cross strike opened the breach (1-1). And two minutes later, Alexis Sanchez, served on the edge of offside by Mattéo Guendouzi brought down the last Burgundian defenses.

Marseille striker Alexis Sanchez (c) scores against Auxerre, on April 30, 2023 at the Stade Vélodrome © CLEMENT MAHOUDEAU / AFP

With this third consecutive success, OM continues on its pace of champion which will (probably) not be and confirms that it has found legs and bite after a more neutral period. Above all, he is inflated with confidence before facing Lens.

"It would make little sense to go to Lens without having made a result," Tudor said on Friday. The result is acquired and now everyone is looking forward to Saturday. See you in Bollaert!

© 2023 AFP