No confidence and no fans: Still hurting from Guendouzi's nonsense, OM hit the road to Metz
Reading Time: 2min | Fri. 18.08.23. | 15:10
Marcelino's team begins the Ligue 1 journey tonight
Missing out on a place in the UEFA Champions League hurt Olympique de Marseille fans badly. Matteo Guendouzi produced his worst performance ever, giving away a penalty which forced extra time before squandering his penalty in the shoot-out. But football doesn't wait. It's time to go again.
Those heartbroken OM supporters won't be allowed to support their team in their first away match of the Ligue 1 season. Olympique de Marseille will be playing in Metz without their supporters. They are serving a suspension that arose from incidents in Ajaccio during the last match of the previous season. The disciplinary committee of the French Football League has decided to close the designated area for away fans, revoking the suspended sentence that was in place.
📰🇬🇪We've got Georges Mikautadze headlining @lequipe as FC Metz will host Marseille later this evening.🇫🇷
— Georgian Footy (@GeorgianFooty) August 18, 2023
Should be a heck of a game this one!🔥 pic.twitter.com/TXp2x2v4rH
Not only will the away fans be officially banned from attending the game at Stade Saint-Symphorien, but OM fans won't be allowed to travel between the two cities. From Marseille to the south to Metz to the north, more than 700 kilometres of motorway will be checked, said the local police director Laurent Touvet. Anyone who wears an OM shirt, takes a flag, or in any other way displays their affection for the Marseille club will be prevented from entering the city of Metz.
Coach Marcelinho will be without Ruslan Malinovskyi, who has left the club to join Serie A revenants Genoa, and the unwanted pair of Pol Lirola and Jordan Amavi. Gabonese legend Pierre-Emerick Aubameyan will try to continue his strong season start in front of goal.
On the other side, Metz have had a painful return to the division. The boys from the Lorraine region suffered a 5-1 loss at Stade Rennais, leaving their coach Laszlo Boloni to bemoan the glaring lack of firepower in his squad. The hosts will be without Gambian midfielder Ablie Jallow too, who will be out for three more weeks with a calf problem.
One thing the hosts won't lack, however, is the noise from their supporters. They broke the barrier of 17,000 season ticket holders, something that's been out of reach for Metz in their history.
LIGUE 1 - MATCHDAY 2
Friday
22.00: (5.40) Metz (3.70) Olympique Marseille (1.75)
Saturday
20.00: (1.75) Olympique Lyon (3.90) Montpellier (5.10)
22.00: (5.60) Toulouse (4.00) PSG (1.67)
Sunday
14.00: (1.45) Lille (4.70) Nantes (8.00)
16.00: (2.70) Le Havre (3.20) Brest (2.90)
16.00: (3.40) Lorient (3.50) Nice (2.25)
16.00: (1.95) Reims (3.60) Clermont (4.20)
18.05: (1.80) Monaco (3.70) Strasbourg (5.00)
21.45: (2.55) Lens (3.50) Rennes (2.85)
***odds are subject to change
