At the Vélodrome stadium,
First the masked face and restraint, before a bullfighter gesture and homage to his teammate, and finally a broad smile after his signature gesture, the sombrero. Olympique de Marseille striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang went through all the stages Thursday evening during the celebrations of the three goals he scored Thursday evening at the Vélodrome to give OM victory against Ajax Amsterdam (4-3) in the Europa League.
He first quickly silenced the few whistles at the mention of his name during the presentation of the teams by the announcer, by calmly transforming a penalty obtained by Sarr (10th), with a flat foot on the counterfoot while in master’s degree. Then a closed, vengeful face as if to remind us of who he is, as a first “celebration” which wasn’t really one.
“Never again will I eat a sandwich at the risk of missing magnificent goals”
Before rewarding the Vélodrome with a little marvel of which only he, and a few other artists of his caliber, have the secret. A magnificent return as much in acrobatics as in mastery to explode the entire stadium and even raise the press stand. Except this unfortunate photographer, still in the tunnel finishing his burger at the moment when Aubameyang rose into the air: “Never again will I eat a sandwich at the risk of missing magnificent goals”, he was still laughing yellow at the moment to leave the stadium.
Amine Harit, behind the decisive pass, is on the other hand much better placed to tell you:
Frankly, it’s a sick goal. A very great striker that he is. Plus it’s something we talked about together. Usually when we cross, we cross well back or at the first post. On the pass to Jo [Jonathan Clauss], I see it a little, I tell myself that I have to steal it in the second one. Frankly, the goal he sets, there are not many who can achieve it. It’s good for him, for his confidence and what he can bring us later.”
Accomplices in the field, and connections in interviews, since the hero of the evening told the same story or almost the same story at the microphone of Canal+: “Frankly it’s a pleasure. We watched the Arsenal match together with the guys, there was a somewhat similar goal with a ball chipped at the far post. And this morning I said to Amine Harit “Yeah, why don’t you center at the second? You put a stake, they are all going to the first”. And he said to me “you know what, I thought of that, I’ll give it to you”. And then it’s instinct.”
“In the group, we were not surprised”
And it was finally in added time that Aubameyang freed himself, as much as he delivered the Vélodrome after three equalizers from Ajax experienced as three cold showers. Once again on a penalty obtained by Sarr, taken with the same confidence as the first (90+3). Finally with a pretty sombrero, and a big smile to celebrate, Aubameyang had just gotten rid of the weight of the striker lacking success.
It had been almost two months and the victory against Le Havre (3-0) that success had eluded him. But among his teammates, no one was really worried, any more than they were surprised by his performance on Thursday evening, like his captain Geoffrey Kondogbia: “It’s not today that we discovered Aubam, in the group we were not surprised. We know its quality, we know what it brings us. We meet him every day, he is liberated, he knows what he must do. There are ups and downs, like everyone else, nothing more nothing less,”
But like his team, Aubameyang is performing better on the European scene, with his fourth goal on Thursday evening, compared to just one in Ligue 1. The ovation from the public and the hugs with his teammates after the victory should reboost him, as much that his splendid return will silence the whistles, at least until Sunday and the reception in Rennes.