• Olympique de Marseille is playing its place in the final of the Europa League Conference this Thursday against Feyenoord Rotterdam at the Stade Vélodrome (9 p.m.).

  • OM are still second in the Ligue 1 standings, synonymous with qualification for the Champions League.

  • But the last two defeats against Rotterdam, in the first leg (3-2), and against Lyon in Ligue 1 (0-3), awakened the specter of the 2018 season when OM had lost everything in the last sprint of the season.

The fear of reliving the end of the same season as in 2018. Olympique de Marseille offers its supporters a breathtaking end to the season, with beautiful objectives still achievable such as qualification for the final of the Europa League Conference, this Thursday against Feyenoord (9 p.m.).

In the league, the Marseillais are still second in the standings, a place synonymous with qualification for the Champions League.

But with a narrow defeat in Rotterdam, last Thursday (3-2), and a heavier one, Sunday against Lyon (0-3), Jorge Sampaoli's players complicate the task a little with these two defeats in a row, a first this season.

Above all, they bring back the bad memory of the end of the 2018 season, punctuated by a cruel 4th place in Ligue 1 and a defeat in the Europa League final against Atlético Madrid.

“The story begins today”

“Tomorrow will be a big game for us, we won't be able to look for excuses.

We are at the end of the season, there are not many games left.

I don't think we have to make excuses for each other, physical, etc.

We lost, it happens, but we move forward and we learn from our mistakes.

We are mentally and physically ready.

We have everything to win, to play the Champions League and reach this final”, wanted to be reassuring Arkadiusz Milik, yet not in great shape during the defeat against Lyon.

For his trainer, Jorge Sampaoli, “the story begins today.

No one remembers yesterday, human beings think only of the present”.

Except that Dimitri Payet, who was there in 2018, remembers it well.

And already before Lyon, he warned: “We did nine months of high quality but if we miss the last three weeks, it's nine months for nothing.

Losing everything in a few days is horrible.

We have to give everything to have no regrets”.

Starting with that of this Thursday against Feyenoord, which was "very important" for the Argentinian.

“As a coach, it would be gratifying to reach the final.

I am waiting to be able to play this final, so I am expecting a lot from this match.

Considering the long season, it would be a reward”.

And to achieve this goal, El Pelado knows what ingredients will be needed.

“We will have to dominate the ball and create chances from this footballing control.

The basis of work that we have seen during this season.

And it is thanks to that that we are still in the race in several competitions.

If we get angry, get stressed, the situation risks becoming unfavorable, ”he said.

Which is exactly what we saw against Lyon last Sunday.

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