Algerian alone can't take Marseille to the Champions League

It was expected that the match between Lille and Marseille could be an attractive one, given that both teams are aiming for a Champions League spot, since they're not capable of threatening Paris Saint-Germain.

However, we didn’t get what we expected. There were a lot of duels and midfield play, with very few chances—especially in the first half, which was very dull. There was a bit more excitement in the second half, and when that’s the case, the match usually ends without a winner, which happened this time too—1:1.

If it turns out that the 1993 European champion fails to secure a Champions League spot—which isn’t impossible since the gap between second and sixth place on the table is just two points—the main reason for the failure will lie in the fact that Roberto De Zerbi’s team dropped a heap of points away from home during the key part of the season.

But that doesn’t change the fact that the battle for a place in Europe’s elite club competition is heating up. It’s one thing to drop points against PSG and Monaco, but they also took heavy hits from modest sides like Auxerre and Reims, and in each of those losses,

Marseille had to retrieve the ball from their net three times. That didn’t happen tonight, but still, they failed to beat the Mastiffs and thus went a fifth straight away match without a win. That’s why they’re not more competitive in the title race—and it’s something that happens to them nearly every year.

A match that didn’t offer many chances was marked by an incident during Lille’s goal, when Marseille goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli made a dreadful mistake by gifting the ball to Jonathan David, who then played in Edon Zhegrova for a tap-in past the confused visiting defense.

All of this happened at a moment when De Zerbi’s team had control of the match and a lead thanks to the in-form Amine Gouiri. The former Lyon prospect has been outstanding since joining from Rennes this winter, already reaching eight goals in 12 appearances for Marseille.

In the end, Lille can be more satisfied with the result, having often found themselves on the back foot but supported by a phenomenal performance from goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier. A young man once told he couldn’t play football because he was too short once again seemed to have magnets in his gloves—yet again this season.

Still, no matter how good Lille’s goalkeeper was, the fact remains that Marseille once more came away empty-handed on the road. When the final reckoning comes, that won’t be a negligible factor if the Velodrome club falls short—as has often been the case in recent years, regardless of who was on the bench.

LIGUE 1 - MATCHDAY 32

Friday

Nice - Reims 1-0 (1-0)

/Sanson 15/

Saturday

Strasbourg - PSG 2-1 (2-0)

/Hernandez 20 og, Lemarechal 45+3 - Barcola 46/

Toulouse - Rennes 2-1 (1-0)

/Gboho 28, Donnum 82 - Kalimuendo 65/

Saint-Etienne - Monaco 1-3 (0-1)

/Davitashvili 65 - Akliouche 2, Al-Musrati 68, Balogun 78/

Sunday

Nantes - Angers 0-1 (0-0)

/Allevinah 52/

Auxerre - Le Havre 1-2 (0-0)

/Sinayoko 62 - Jubal 79 (og), Sangante 90+2/

Brest - Montpellier 1-0 (1-0)

/Del Castillo 15/

Olympique Lyon - Lens 1-2 (0-1)

/Mikautadze 79 - Koyalipou 21, Zaroury 85/

Lille - Olympique Marseille 1-1 (0-0)

/Fernandez 74 - Gouiri 57/