The mission promises to be complicated for Olympique de Marseille against Benfica Lisbon, “quarter-finalist of the last Champions League”, as Jean-Louis Gasset recalled, on the eve of welcoming the Portuguese for the match back. But not impossible, despite the first leg defeat (2-1). The history of OM shows that the club has already made up more significant gaps. A look back at these exploits, each time with the little ingredient that turned everything upside down, and which could above all give ideas to the Marseillais against Benfica: The X factor Didier Drogba or Franck Ribéry, the chambering of La Corogne or Louis Nicollin. Without forgetting the Vélodrome stadium, the common denominator of these crazy evenings.
OM – Newcastle (2-0), UEFA Cup semi-final return in 2004
The trigger: the stroke of genius that came out of nowhere
A genius heel move to qualify for the UEFA Cup final. After their draw in England (0-0), OM hosted Alan Shearer’s Newcastle on May 6, 2004 in a Vélodrome that was inevitably packed for the occasion. The season’s top scorer, Didier Drogba, once again led his team to victory when in the 18th minute he hit the ball with his right, “the Drogba special”, to finish with a cross shot from the left.
The Marseillais lead 1-0, until the 81st minute, when the Ivorian takes the initiative with a free kick combination to find himself alone at the penalty spot and propel the ball with the flat of his ball foot into the back of the net . Drogba 2 – Newcastle 0, OM joins Valencia in the UEFA Cup final thanks to their “phenomenon”.
Against Benfica, what would it look like?
After two big chances from the Benfica midfielder, Rafa Silva, already a scorer in the first leg, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is finally correctly launched into the depth by Amine Harit. The Gabonese advances towards Trubin, before adjusting the Ukrainian goalkeeper with a subtle dive. OM’s top scorer this season repeats his feat by rewarding the Stade Vélodrome with a scissor from a corner taken by Jordan Veretout. We play the 82nd minute and Aubameyang sends OM into the semi-final of the Europa League at the same time as he celebrates with his famous somersault.
Marseille – Deportivo La Corogne (5-1): final return of the Intertoto Cup
The trigger: Franck Ribéry’s red card
Beaten a week earlier 2-0 in Spain, the Marseillais await, with revenge, the return match at the Vélodrome stadium. This return to the Intertoto Cup final got off to a flying start with a goal quickly scored by Ribéry, before his expulsion a few minutes later, along with Argentinian midfielder Duscher, just after La Coruna’s equalizer. The match continued on the same basis with four warnings for the Olympian side, and six for La Coruna, including a second expulsion for Capdevila. “There was a dispute,” remembers Albert Emon, the assistant coach at the time. We had cleaned up in La Coruña the day after the first leg, and they had roomed us. It was a very rough match, but I think we were a little better physically. Their nerves got the best of them a little. » As a result, OM scored four goals in the second half, including a double from Mamadou Niang, and won the Intertoto Cup.
Against Benfica, what would it look like?
Amine Harit scored a goal from midfield from the kick-off, after his failed try against Olympique Lyonnais and OM already equalized in the double confrontation. But the Franco-Moroccan gets into trouble a few minutes later with the lively David Neres, who has just given him a little bridge. Both players are excluded and the match ends at 10 against 10. Which does not prevent Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Harit’s passes never reach him anyway, from scoring a double to send OM into semi final.
Marseille – RB Leipzig (5-2): April 12, 2018, quarter-final second leg of the Europa League
The trigger: the chambering of Timo Werner and Jean Kevin Augustin
Defeated by the smallest of scores thanks to Timo Werner, who did not forget to fail, at the Red Bull Arena a week earlier, the Marseillais arrived in a record Vélodrome stadium to play for their place in the semi-final of the Europa League . The Marseille volcano records its largest attendance with 61,882 spectators officially, but more than 65,000, most certainly. To the point that the German striker, who scored in the first leg, was left on the bench to protect his ears from the surrounding chaos. Bruma’s goal for Leipzig in the first minute did not cool down either the Vélodrome or the Marseillais who regained the advantage in less than 10 minutes. The rest is vague. “It was so crazy that my brain disconnected, I could no longer realize the moments when we were eliminated, and those when we were qualified,” remembers Yann, a Commando Ultra subscriber.
Until the 60th, no more than five minutes after the reduction of the score by the former Parisian Jean Kévin Augustin, and his sign “shh” to the supporters, synonymous with overtime. “There I see Payet doing leg passes before sending a big outside foot into the top corner. It was a crazy goal. I felt sick,” he adds. Sakai’s last goal is only anecdotal, but it ends up capsizing the Vélodrome, and making the corners tremble: “The whole stadium had already stood up while the goal had not yet entered the cage . And as soon as he came home at two on time, everyone exploded. It’s in the three best atmospheres of my life.”
Against Benfica, what would it look like?
Former Parisian Angel Di Maria did not hesitate to celebrate his goal in the first leg, which has already irritated the Marseillais quite a bit. But the Argentinian does not stop there and puts his finger behind his big ear facing the south turn after catapulting a free kick into the top corner of Pau Lopez. There’s nothing like it to wake up players and supporters, and Jordan Veretout comes with a sharp strike from 25 meters to put his team back on track. On the 3rd Marseille goal, synonymous with qualification for the semi-finals, it is the young Iliman Ndiaye who comes to imitate Di Maria in front of the Benfica bench. Cheh.
OM – Montpellier (5-4): August 22, 1998, 3rd day of Ligue 1
The trigger: Courbis’ bet
It’s not just the European Cups that bring their share of magic to a match. This “comeback” of OM against Montpellier during the 3rd day of the 98/99 season of our good old Ligue 1 is even one of the greatest matches in Olympian history. Trailing 4 goals to 0 at the break, the Marseillais had achieved the historic feat of winning 5 goals to 4. “It still remains difficult to take this match as an example because since football has existed, whether at club or in selection, never has a team that was down 4-0 managed to win 5-4. There was research carried out, it’s a unique case,” reframes Rolland Courbis, the OM coach at the time.
A unique case and an exchange that has since become legendary. The one between the OM coach and Louis Nicollin, the president of the MHSC, upon returning from the locker room: “When I think we are going to win 5-4,” Courbis tells him. “That’s balls,” “Loulou” retorts. “Why am I saying that to Louis Nicollin? I don’t believe it for a second, but he annoys me to console me so I tell him that in this situation” confides Rolland Courbis 26 years later.
Against Benfica, what would it look like?
The Marseillais return to the locker room under the whistles of the Vélodrome after having conceded three goals in the first half alone. The semi-final is no longer even hoped for, but Jean-Louis Gasset does not get upset when Roger Schmidt, the coach of Benfica, counts to three on his fingers: “When I think of the Guinness pie that I’m going to sneak off to Dublin while you’re with your Bacalhau! » And rather than sinking, the Marseillais finally play liberated: Moumbagna doubles his goal total since his arrival at OM with a double in ten minutes, before shifting his attacking partner, Aubameyang to equalize. What if they did? Amine Harit scored a lucky goal less than a quarter of an hour from the end and incredible, the young Luis Henrique, registered on the Europa League list in place of defender Ulisses Garcia, sent OM to the semi-final on a low cross strike.