PLAYER RATINGS | Marseille 3-1 Shakhtar Donetsk: Jean-Louis Gasset gets off to winning start to secure Europa League progression
UEFA Europa League, 22/02/24
Olympique de Marseille secured their spot in the next round of the Europa League thanks to a 3-1 (5-3 agg.) victory over Shakhtar Donetsk. Les Phocéens had to come from behind to secure the victory in what was Jean-Louis Gasset’s first game as interim manager.
It had been a week of significant upheaval at Marseille, and you could feel it around the Vélodrome. Gennaro Gattuso had lost his job after a poor run of results and without a Ligue 1 victory in 2024. His departure felt inevitable and it was confirmed on Tuesday. Gasset arrived in his place, becoming OM’s fourth manager of the ongoing season.
Much of Les Phocéens fanbase targeted the players, the club’s hierarchy and owner Frank McCourt with their pre-match criticism. However, on the pitch, there was a job to do – qualification was on the line. OM got off to a nightmare start after Jonathan Clauss committed a clumsy foul inside the box, with Heorhiy Sudakov tucking home from the spot.
However, Marseille quickly struck back through the clinical Pierre-Emerick Auabameyang, who slotted home calmly after being slipped through by the influential Amine Harit. The Gabonese striker now has seven in the Europa League and is therefore the top scorer in the competition.
Marseille had grown into the game throughout the first half and by the second half, they were well on top. However, there were few clear-cut chances and it wasn’t until Ismaïla Sarr came off the bench that they took the lead. The Senegalese international had a game-changing influence on the match and got his goal from a long ball into the box. Aubameyang missed the initial effort, but Sarr did not, finishing first time to give Marseille the lead.
The victory was then confirmed by
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