Europa League: end of the dream for Marseille, slapped and eliminated in the semi-final second leg by Atalanta Bergamo

Olympique de Marseille, totally overwhelmed, was soundly beaten by Atalanta Bergamo on Thursday (3-0) and eliminated in the semi-final of the Europa League, on the verge of the final in Dublin. OM's European epic ends abruptly in Italy and the Marseillais will have to quickly plunge back into the throes of Ligue 1 where they occupy 9th place to avoid experiencing a completely blank season.

There is a form of logic in this new defeat far from the Vélodrome stadium since Marseille, penultimate in L1 away, had only won one match away from its bases in the Europa League, against AEK Athens (2-0, November 9). The last French representatives in the European Cup after the elimination of PSG on Tuesday in the Champions League, the Marseillais nevertheless wanted to believe it. The day before the match, Jean-Louis Gasset, their coach, had hoped for a perfect start from his players and promised “fight and duel”, ensuring that his team were ready for the major deadline of their season.

Nothing happened as he had planned: during the first ten minutes, the Marseillais multiplied the approximations, returning the ball too easily to the Atalanta players in their own half. In the 24th minute, receiving a corner, Gianluca Scamacca found the crossbar of Pau Lopez's goal before the Spanish OM goalkeeper saved his team thanks to a save after a header from Charles De Ketelaere which had followed.

Also read: Atalanta-OM: the Devil Lookman, Aerial De Ketelaere, Clauss and Merlin on the pick-up... Tops and flops

Five minutes later, Pau Lopez was unable to do anything against Ademola Lookman's shot at the edge of the area, which was played by Geoffrey Kondogbia and Samuel Gigot (1-0, 30th). Scorer, the Nigerian turned into a passer from the start of the second period, Matteo Ruggeri relying on him before deceiving Pau Lopez (2-0, 52nd) to give a definitive advantage to the “Dea”.

Wandering from club to club in recent seasons, Lookman proved on Thursday to what extent the reputation of Gian Piero Gasperini, the Bergamo coach, of boosting players lacking confidence, was not usurped. With the Belgian De Ketelaere, on loan from AC Milan, he was the best “Italian” on the pitch. And the Malian El Bilal Touré, also revived by Gasperini, who came into play during the second period, finished off OM in added time (3-0, 90th 4).

The enchanted European parenthesis closed, Marseille must therefore plunge back into the French championship where it has never shone this season. Currently ninth in Ligue 1, with one game less to play, the Marseillais are not yet qualified for any European Cup. They even pray that their best enemy, PSG, wins the Coupe de France against Lyon on May 25. This would offer a European ticket to 7th in Ligue 1, a place that OM can still aim for. But it is far from being done yet.