TheNewsGuru

Tag: Marseille

  • Neymar, 4 others sent off as Marseille grab rare win at PSG

    Neymar, 4 others sent off as Marseille grab rare win at PSG

    Olympique Marseille earned a smash-and-grab 1-0 win at Ligue 1 champions Paris St-Germain (PSG) on Sunday in a match which saw five players sent off and two goals disallowed.

    Forward Florian Thauvin struck in the 31st minute of a pulsating though ill-tempered match at the Parc des Princes for Marseille’s first league win over PSG since November 2011.

    It condemned PSG, who were last season’s UEFA Champions League runners-up, to their second straight league defeat after they suffered a 1-0 opening day setback at Lens.

    Thauvin scored against the run of play, steering in a Dimitri Payet free-kick inside the near post from close range.

    This was after the home side had come close through Marco Verratti and Neymar, who also missed a pair of chances in the second half.

    Littered by crunching fouls at either end in the first half, the game produced some free-flowing football after the break.

    Visiting goalkeeper Steve Mandanda pulled off several superb saves and both sides had goals disallowed for offside.

    Angel Di Maria’s effort for PSG was ruled out in the 62nd minute.

    Marseille substitute Dario Benedetto’s scorcher was also scrapped two minutes later as Thauvin, who unleashed the initial shot, was marginally behind the last PSG defender.

    PSG, who missed several first-team regulars who had contracted the COVID-19 virus, pressed hard in the closing stages.

    But Marseille’s rugged defence held firm as the 1993 European Cup winners made it two wins out of two.

    A full scale brawl broke out on the pitch in the last minute of stoppage time.

    It forced referee Jerome Brisard to send off PSG’s Neymar, Laywin Kurzawa and Leandro Paredes, as well as Marseille’s duo of Benedetto and Jordan Amavi.

  • Transfer news: Balotelli to join Marseille from Nice

    Italy striker Mario Balotelli has agreed to join Olympique Marseille from fellow Ligue 1 side Nice on a six-month contract, French sports daily L’Equipe reported on Tuesday.

    The newspaper added that the 28-year-old, who has also played for Inter Milan and AC Milan, as well as Manchester City and Liverpool, would have a medical on Wednesday.

    Marseille were not immediately available to comment.

    Balotelli’s contract was due to expire in June.

    Marseille are seventh in the standings, level on 31 points with eighth-placed Nice who have played a game more.

  • Marseille midfielder Payet scores first Ligue 1 VAR penalty

    Marseille midfielder Payet scores first Ligue 1 VAR penalty

    Dimitri Payet was the beneficiary as VAR was used for the first time in French football in Marseille’s opening-day win over Toulouse.

    The former West Ham midfielder scored twice, including a penalty courtesy of VAR, during a comfortable Ligue 1 victory at the Orange Velodrome.

    Payet, who missed France’s World Cup triumph through injury, scored from the spot on the stroke of half-time.

    Referee Ruddy Buquet had initially signalled a corner off Kelvin Amian.

    However, after a VAR consultation, the official awarded a penalty after deciding a header from Valere Germain had come off the arms of the Toulouse defender.

    The 31-year-old then doubled the hosts’ advantage just after the hour mark, before Germain added a third in the 89th minute, and Florent Thauvin completed the scoring in injury time.

  • Europa Final: Marseille v Atletico Madrid match stats, team news

    Europa Final: Marseille v Atletico Madrid match stats, team news

    Marseille captain Dimitri Payet wants his side to “write their names” in the history books by beating Atletico Madrid in the Europa League final.

    The French side reached their first European final since 2005, when they lost in the Uefa Cup to Valencia.

    Spaniards Atletico won the competition in 2010 and 2012, and have lost in two Champions League finals since.

    “We believe against Atletico because this season has shown that we are a real team,” said Payet.

    The former West Ham midfielder set up both goals to inspire his side to victory over Red Bull Salzburg in the semi-finals, while Atletico edged past Premier League side Arsenal.

    Payet added: “Those who won the Champions League in 1993 are still heroes because nobody else has done it since.

    “We know how tough it is. Of course, that is an added source of motivation, and if we do win the final, our names will be written into the club’s history books forever.”

    Atletico boss Diego Simeone is suspended for the match in Lyon after being sent to the stands against Arsenal, so assistant German Burgos will take charge of the team from the sidelines.

    “It was the same thing against Arsenal, when German was in charge of the side,” said Simeone.

    “I feel sad at not being there, but we have known each other for a lifetime and we understand football in the same way. I have confidence in him being in charge.”

    Atletico have already assured themselves of a place in next season’s Champions League by finishing in the top four of La Liga, but Marseille, currently in the Europa League spot in Ligue 1 with one game remaining, would guarantee they join Atletico in Europe’s premier club competition by winning the final.

    Team News

    Atletico defender Filipe Luis has been named in the squad after recovering from a broken ankle, while winger Vitolo is also available after a hamstring complaint.

    Marseille manager Rudi Garcia is also expecting to have a full-strength squad at his disposal, despite concerns over Payet (thigh), Rolando (calf), Kostas Mitroglou (hamstring) and Bouna Sarr (dislocated shoulder).

     

    Match Facts

    This will be the first meeting between Marseille and Atletico Madrid in European competition since 2008-09, when the Spaniards went unbeaten against them in the Champions League group stage (W1 D1).

    Les Olympiens are aiming to be the first French team to win a major European competition since 1995-96, when Paris St-Germain beat Rapid Vienna in the Cup Winners’ Cup.

    This will be Diego Simeone’s fourth major European final since taking charge at Atletico in 2011-12 – the Argentine has lost both of his Champions League finals, but did win his only previous Europa League final in 2011-12.

    Since the start of the 2013-14 campaign, Spanish clubs have won seven of the possible eight Champions League and Europa League trophies combined, with Manchester United’s win in this competition last season being the only exception.

    In games played away from their home ground – the Orange Velodrome – Marseille have kept just one clean sheet in 16 games in the Europa League.

    Dimitri Payet has made seven assists in 11 appearances in the Europa League this term; the most of any player in the competition.

    Antoine Griezmann has had a hand in more goals than any other Atletico Madrid player in European competition this season (10 – six goals and four assists), including a goal and an assist in their 2-1 aggregate win over Arsenal in the semi-finals.

    No team has been shown more yellow cards (30) or red cards (3) than Marseille in this season’s Europa League.

  • Atletico v Marseille: Diego Simeone banned for Europa final

    Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has received a four-match Uefa ban and will be absent from the touchline when his side face Marseille in the Europa League final on 16 May.

    Simeone was found guilty of insulting a match official during the first leg of Atletico’s semi-final at Arsenal.

    The 48-year-old was sent to the stands after Sime Vrsaljko’s early red card.

    He served the first match of his suspension as Atletico completed a 2-1 aggregate win on Thursday.

    It is not the first time that the Argentine, who was also fined 10,000 euros (£8,800), has been in trouble.

    In 2014, he was banned by the Spanish Football Federation for eight matches for his behaviour in the second leg of the Spanish Super Cup.

    He got a four-game punishment for tapping the fourth official on the back of the head after a heated exchange during Atletico’s 2-1 aggregate win over Real Madrid, and a further sanction for protesting, applauding a red card and not leaving the field.

    In 2016, he was given a touchline ban for the final three La Liga games of the season after appearing to instruct a ball boy to throw a ball on to the pitch to disrupt a Malaga attack during an Atletico victory.

    Uefa’s control, ethics and disciplinary board also fined the club 10,000 euros after fans threw objects on the pitch at Emirates Stadium.

  • Wasteful Gunners concede late equaliser with 10-man Atletico, Marseille one leg in to finals

    Antoine Griezmann punished Arsenal’s lax defence late on as 10-man Atletico Madrid’s rearguard action salvaged a draw from the Europa League semi-final first leg at the Emirates.

    The visitors were on the back foot for almost the entire game after defender Sime Vrsaljko was dismissed for two yellow cards in the first 10 minutes.

    Their defence survived unscathed to half-time with Alexandre Lacazette clipping the post with a half-volley in the hosts’ best chance.

    Lacazette nodded in Jack Wilshere’s cross just after the hour to apparently edge the Gunners closer to a Europa League final send-off for outgoing manager Arsene Wenger.

    But with eight minutes remaining Griezmann latched onto a long ball forward, shrugged off Laurent Koscielny and stabbed into the net at the second attempt to swing the momentum Atletico’s way.

    Dimitri Payet set up both goals as Marseille beat Austria’s RB Salzburg 2-0 in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final at Stade Velodrome.

    The Ligue 1 side have won eight of their nine games at home in this season’s competition.

    Florian Thauvin headed their opener from ex-West Ham forward Payet’s free-kick and Cameron winger Clinton Njie doubled the lead from a Payet pass.

    Fredrik Gulbrandsen hit the post for the Austrian Bundesliga leaders.

  • West Ham agreed £25m Marseille deal for Payet

    West Ham have agreed a £25million deal with Marseille for the transfer of Dimitri Payet

    Payet is expected to sign for Marseille on Sunday after the French club reached an agreement with West Ham over his transfer. It is understood the France international will take a £25,000 wage cut from his £125,000-a-week salary at West Ham to secure the switch.

    The 29-year old is in France and is expected to be unveiled in the next 24 hours with a view to him figuring in the squad to face Lyon on Tuesday.


    West Ham have signed Robert Snodgrass from Hull and remain in talks over Scott Hogan at Brentford.

    The arrival of Hull City midfielder Snodgrass at the London Stadium means West Ham no longer have any interest in trying to hold 29-year-old Payet against his will and both clubs are keen to get a final deal in place.

    West Ham have turned down two bids from Marseille for Payet but now expect the move to happen with a fee of £25m plus £5m in add-ons.

    Payet told West Ham he no longer wanted to play for them earlier this month and has been training with their U23s.

    His family had already returned to France.