Will the Marseillais return to the Europa League final, six years after their epic of 2018 (3-0 defeat against Atlético de Madrid)? To do this, they will have to defeat Atalanta Bergamo in the semi-finals of the competition. Both matches will take place in early May.
Olympique de Marseille will host the Italians in the first leg. The match will be played on Thursday May 2 at the Vélodrome stadium. The atmosphere promises to be there, as it was this Thursday evening during the French qualification against Benfica, during the quarter-final return (1-0, 4-2 on the tabs).
The semi-final return between OM and Atalanta will be played in Bergamo on Thursday May 9. If playing the second match away is often a disadvantage, the Olympians managed to overcome this obstacle during the round of 16. They largely beat Villarreal in the first leg (4-0), before holding on in the return (3-1 defeat).
Marseille, only ninth in Ligue 1, is taking advantage of its adventure in the Europa League to save its season. Even if things have improved since the arrival of Jean-Louis Gasset in February, the results are still inconsistent.
During the first leg against Benfica, Olympique de Marseille lost 2 goals to 1. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored late in the match, which helped maintain French hopes before the return. This Thursday at the Vélodrome, it was Faris Moumbagna, 23-year-old striker, who sent OM into overtime thanks to a late goal (80th).