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Payet to the rescue
Excited in this kind of high-stakes matches, the Olympian captain has long fled the light on the lawn of the Velodrome this Thursday against Lazio (2-2). Apart from a master free kick from the start (13th), the Reunionese hardly stood out unlike Milik, the first scorer of the match (33rd). But OM number 10 emerged when his people needed it most. Ten minutes from the end, while the Phocéens sank into nothingness, Payet emerged to propel a messed up ball to the bottom, in a closed angle (82nd). A few minutes after reviving the Vélodrome, he almost set it ablaze on this distant strike on the bar (89th). His avoidable yellow card at the end of the match is expensive,because he will miss the crucial trip to Galatasaray in three weeks.
LiveEuropa League: OM draw away from Lazio and can still hope
Ünder will have tried everything
In line with his match in Clermont, where he scored the victorious goal for OM (1-0), Cengiz Ünder spared no effort on the wings.
First aligned on the left, where he delivered the decisive center for Milik's penalty, the Turk then successfully exiled to his right side of choice.
If he has shown a lot of waste (25 lost balls), he will have been one of the only ones to attack without complaining, and will have passed an ordeal to Hysaj on his wing.
Sometimes by overflowing or by transplanting in the axis, as on this curled center which finished its race on the post of Strakosha (60th).
The cold realism of Immobile and Lazio
Announced as a substitute or even absent from the scoresheet, Ciro Immobile appeared out of nowhere.
Like his team.
Mistreated in the game as in the duels for a half, Lazio came out of the woods on a final corner, on his only opportunity in the first period (45 + 5).
Before crucifying OM after returning from the locker room through its captain, benefiting from an error from William Saliba (49th).
Clinic in front of goal, the Nazionale striker has simply become the top scorer in club history.
He will also have been a real poison for the defense of OM, which he has often taken in reverse to the limit of offside.
But Sarri and he will regret the opportunity missed by Milinkovic-Savic a few seconds after coming into play, which could have given two goals ahead (53rd).
Flops
This time, Saliba is expensive
Faithful to his start to the season for 45 minutes, the Olympian rock plunged at both ends of the rest. Long imperial, William Saliba went from hero to zero in seconds. After preventing Immobile from hitting, he involuntarily puts Felipe Anderson into play on the next corner (45 + 5). After the rest, he misses his control and offers a boulevard to Immobile, who did not ask for so much (49th). A double responsibility for the former Niçois, who had again shone by his own revivals under pressure. The one who brought home a lot of points for OM this season, and that some imagined in Deschamps' list for November, missed the boat on Thursday.
Lucas Leiva, the weight of the years
Replaced after the second Roman goal, Lucas Leiva undergoes a gradual downgrading in the hierarchy of the Roman environment. And this match in Marseille gives some elements of understanding. At the limit of the card on Payet, who had erased a roulette (40th), the Brazilian often appeared late in the defensive phase. Too neutral in his offensive contribution (31 balls played), the former Liverpool suffers from the comparison with his replacement Danilo Cataldi, who takes more and more thickness, who did not hesitate to project himself after his entry.
Fourth draw in a row for OM
This fourth draw in a row in C3 is obviously not a disaster for OM, who saved the day by equalizing at the end of the game.
But it does not help the gang in Sampaoli, which is stagnating on the continental scene.
And the absence of revolt before the equalization of Payet raised serious questions about the intentions of OM in this Europa League.
A convincing victory against Lazio would at least have allowed to finally launch the machine to walk in the footsteps of friends Lyon and Monaco, qualified for one and well on board for the other.
