Olympique de Marseille – Atalanta BC: Controversy Leaves Marseille in Fury

A tense clash between Olympique de Marseille and Atalanta BC would end with a healthy dose of controversy when Atalanta took advantage of Marseille’s protests for a penalty to deliver a knockout punch. It was far from pretty, but Atalanta would claim a rare victory for Ivan Jurić in a season marked with draws. 

Tactical analysis and match report by Nick Hartland.

Olympique de Marseille’s return to the UEFA Champions League has not gone exactly to plan. There was little expectation that last season’s Ligue 1 runners-up would defeat perennial heavyweights Real Madrid in their opening game. Still, a spirited performance demonstrated a determination to make a mark on the competition, as was evident in the rout of Ajax. A sloppy defeat to Sporting CP would come next, a match that encapsulated a certain fragility that has proven difficult for Roberto De Zerbi to iron out during his time in La Provence. 

De Zerbi would be without seven first-teamers on the night as he went with a 3-4-3 shape. Gerónimo Rulli was in goal behind CJ Egan-Riley, Nayef Aguerd, and Benjamin Pavard. In midfield, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg and Matt O’Riley, with Ulisses Garcia and Amir Murillo as wing-backs. Up front, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was the number nine with Igor Paixão and Mason Greenwood on the wings. 

Atalanta BC’s post-Gasperini era has been light on excitement. The club had registered eight draws in 13 games across all competitions, with three victories and two defeats being the anomalies to new manager Ivan Jurić’s apparent pursuit of equilibrium. The last time they traveled to France represented one of . . .