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The OM coach wants at all costs to avoid an early opening score for Villarreal on Thursday evening during the round of 16 second leg of the Europa League.
Last week, Olympique de Marseille easily won (4-0) against Villarreal, at the Vélodrome stadium, during the round of 16 of the Europa League. A comfortable mattress for the return match, which will take place on Thursday at 6:45 p.m. at the Céramique stadium. In 2017, Paris Saint-Germain won by the same score in the Champions League against FC Barcelona, before being overthrown three weeks later at the Camp Nou.
Jean-Louis Gasset absolutely wants to avoid such a comeback. “The start will be decisive. But Villarreal has no room for error. They have to play the perfect match and we have to have a catastrophic match to reverse the trend. We will try to take the ball and take advantage of the spaces they will leave behind,” declared the 70-year-old technician this Wednesday evening at a press conference.
Game in transition to be expected?
Relaunched on the importance of the start of the match, the former Ivory Coast coach adds: “I expect a conquering, offensive team, which will play technically because it is a strong team when it has control of the game. It is up to us to thwart the start of the match and show our qualities. With our attackers, we can be a transition team.”
During FC Barcelona’s famous comeback against PSG on March 8, 2017, Uruguayan Luis Suárez scored the first goal of the match in the third minute of play, before Thomas Meunier was able to clear the ball.
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Manu Tournoux is a passionate and knowledgeable football enthusiast with a special focus on French football. Born and raised in France, Manu discovered his love for the beautiful game at a young age and developed a deep understanding of the ins and outs of "Le Championnat." His French roots and extensive experience in football journalism have made him an invaluable asset to the French Football Weekly team. As an author for the website, Manu's expertise includes not only in-depth analysis of Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 matches but also insightful profiles of up-and-coming talents, detailed transfer news, and engaging coverage of the French national team. His captivating writing style and undeniable passion for the game have earned him a loyal following among our readers. When he's not crafting engaging articles for French Football Weekly, Manu enjoys attending live matches whenever he can, exploring football culture in various French cities, and engaging in spirited debates with fellow fans. Feel free to follow Manu on Twitter and interact with him as he shares his expert opinions, insights, and love for French football.