Olympique de Marseille (OM) won this Thursday evening against Lokomotiv Moscow (1-0) at the Velodrome stadium in a match without surprises.
Although eliminated from the Europa League, this first success in Group E allows him to finish 3rd and therefore to be de facto transferred to the Europa League Conference, where he will try to reach the round of 16, like Stade Rennais.
But before that, OM will have to go through a jump-off against a second in the group of C4.
Deemed to be the weakest in their group, the Muscovites did not give the Marseillais much trouble, who first produced a first period in line with their current performance: play, a lot, but few chances, and hundreds of passes, only a handful of which reach Milik.
The Pole finally offered a header in the 35th minute, on a corner filed by Cengiz Ünder.
Harmless Moscow
Even if his sincere attachment to seeing OM succeed in the European Cup is not in doubt, Jorge Sampaoli has all the same made some changes in the perspective of Sunday's important trip to Strasbourg. Tired, Payet remained on the bench for an hour, like Kamara and Lirola. Conversely, Milik, Under and Mandanda, absent from the 11 lately for various reasons, have made their return as holders.
Opposite, Moscow was all the more harmless as the former Bordeaux striker François Kamano had to go out after falling badly on his back.
The rest remained under control but confirmed that OM were definitely struggling to kill the matches they control.
Gerson, who is really better, thus had two good opportunities: first a head not sufficiently supported (51st), then a shot deflected on his bar by the Russian goalkeeper after the best Marseille collective movement of the match.
A bonus victory for Marseille
Since a draw was enough for him to finish third in this raised group and get away from it all in C4, OM did not really tremble despite this still too slim advantage.
But as the Marseillais do not know how to simplify their lives, they finished at 10 after the expulsion of Rongier, not in a very big night, in the 81st minute.
The victory is ultimately a bonus, not useless for a club that really wins too little in Europe, with only one success in its last 19 games before Thursday.
But the main thing was really to pass because it would have made a spot for OM to be the only French club eliminated from continental competitions.
All French clubs engaged in European competitions remain in the running for the knockout phase: Lille and PSG in C1, OL and Monaco in C3 and Rennes and OM in C4, therefore.
