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Broan in Monaco on the past weekend, Olympique de Marseille, which has lost five of its last seven games, welcomes this Saturday (9 p.m.) the Red Lantern Montpellier at the Vélodrome stadium.
OM (really) no longer has the right to make mistakes. In free fall for two months, Olympique de Marseille welcomes this Saturday (9 p.m.) at the Vélodrome stadium, its southern neighbor in Montpellier with fear in the stomach. And an obligation of victory, if possible with the way. Because, last weekend, the team trained by Roberto de Zerbi hit the bottom in Monaco (3-0 defeat), his fifth defeat in his last seven games, losing his place as a runner-up in the classification recovered by the ASM. The figures have been alarming since February 22 and the bitter reverse, already, on the lawn of Auxerre (3-0), which had resulted in the uncontrolled anger of President Pablo Longoria against French arbitration. In seven days, therefore, the Phocaeans only garnered six points (painful victories against Nantes then Toulouse) and owe them to their podium only to the irregularity of their competitors (Nice, Lille, Lyon …).
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If the vital objective of qualification in the Champions League remains more than ever in this final sprint, no one is fooled in Marseille. The crisis is coming to an end and it is high time to put the ship afloat. Tapi in the shade in recent weeks – due in particular to its suspension of 15 games which prohibits it from access to the locker room and to the field – President Longoria understood this. “”Our goal today is clear: win against Montpellier. We remain third, and we have our destiny in our hands. You have to move forward step by step, without looking further“Wrote the Spanish leader on LinkedIn on Tuesday, leaving silence to temper”anger» et «frustrationSupporters he says he understands.
“Tactics are not the problem”
Before adding, mobilizing: “I see, every day, working players, a coach and a committed staff and employees who hold this club with force, often in the shade. I am not talking here to create an effect. I speak because I deeply believe in what we do. And because I know that this group, this club, is able to get up, as always, together. We will need everyone. On the ground, in the offices, and in the stands. And we're going to go. Without noise. Without fear. With determination.»
The determination, mental value that seemed to be lacking in the Olympian players – Mason Greenwood and Luis Henrique in mind – during the second nightmarish period at the Louis -II stadium in Monaco. Diagnosis also made by Zerbi coach. “”All year round, I talked about mentality, this is the problem that was probably not resolved. It is a team issue. The game system is not the solution. The three things are the brain, the heart and the c *****launched the Italian technician filter this Friday at a press conference at the commandery, refusing to mention a game problem at the heart of this black series. It is the brain and the heart that make things change, not tactics. I'm crazy about tactics, but this is not the problem of OM. When you have your head and heart, you can change everything and get results. Without that, the tactical aspect does not count. ”
Worse defense since 1985
It is not difficult, all the same, to note that OM, beyond a deficit of envy, takes water from all sides as soon as the opponent has accelerated lately. With 41 goals collected in 29 days of the championship, the Olympian defense has been the worst in the history of the club since… the 1984/1985 season. Captain Leonardo Balerdi injured in the left knee and still absent – he could make his return “next week“Dixit de Zerbi-, the Geoffrey Kondogbia, Derek Cornelius, Amir Murillo and other Pol Lirola see waves that the system (ineffective but irremovable?) In 3-4-3 installed by the Marseille coach is struggling to stem. The fault, too, to executives in difficulty in the midfield (Højbjerg, Rongier, Bennacer …) and attackers (Maupay, Greenwood, Gouiri …) ineffective at the pressing and too little dangerous with the ball.
As if OM, reliable during the winter, had lost all its collective landmarks. “”I try to be realistic. I saw in Monaco a good first half, we were bosses in the middle and we had opportunities. Tomorrow (Saturday), we have the potential to win and return to second place or dig the gap with our pursuers», The Positivé de Zerbi,«optimisticWhile his team is in the 9th place in the return phase classification (16 points taken in 12 games). “”We must win the match on the field on Saturday and not with the blah-blah“, He added.
MHSC, ideal prey
The observation (alarming) drawn up, the Marseillais can at least positivate on one point: Saturday, they face Montpellier. The MHSC, the indisputable red Ligue 1 lantern which has long abandoned its maintenance objective to prepare next season in League 2. under the orders of Zoumana Camara, replacing Jean-Louis Gasset who left ten days ago. The statistics speak for themselves: with their 15 points on the clock, the Héraultais remain on ten consecutive defeats with a single small goal in the period (!). On paper, it is difficult to imagine a surprise at the Vélodrome stadium. Especially since an informed OM, the one who found a way to relaunch a stage of Reims in the hole (3-1), normally worth two according to the consecrated expression.
While Monaco (2nd) and Strasbourg (5th) will cross the iron (Saturday 7 p.m.) and a Lyon (4th) Groggy has an appointment in Saint-Etienne (Sunday 8:45 p.m.), the Phocaeans can make a stone two shots this weekend: regain confidence and scratch points to their rivals before challenging Brest, Lille, Le Havre then Rennes at the end of the season. Under pressure, Adrien Rabiot and his teammates will be able to count, at least at the start, on the support of a velodrome announced at closed counters for the 15th consecutive time. More than 66,200 Olympian supporters are expected to boulevard Michelet, a new tributary record. For, finally, a bounce on the field up to the club's ambitions?
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