Europa League: thanks to a hat-trick from Aubameyang, Marseille beats Ajax Amsterdam and qualifies for the round of 16

At the end of a crazy match, Marseille won this Thursday evening in the Europa League against Ajax Amsterdam (4-3). Not satisfied with the completely unbridled first leg in the Netherlands (3-3), Marseillais and Amsterdam put on a new show this evening at the Vélodrome stadium despite their current weaknesses and their lack of confidence. To ideally launch OM, Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang took advantage of the work of Ismaïla Sarr, unbalanced in the area by Hato, to open the scoring from the penalty spot (1-0, 9th).

We thought Gennaro Gattuso's players were in an ideal situation, the euphoria only lasted a few seconds. Brobbey, in the following minute, equalized after a superb one-two played with Berghuis (1-1, 10th). Everything had to be done again for the Marseillais, saved for the first time by Lopez (14th) then unfortunate with the double refused for Aubameyang due to an offside position (23rd). Messy in the game and on a defensive edge, OM then relied on their Clauss-Mbemba duo, effective on set pieces.

The Frenchman at the corner, the Congolese at the conclusion of the header - as on the pitch of AEK Athens (2-0) during the 4th day - and the Vélodrome could exult a second time (2-1, 27th). Before sighing again in the process when Brobbey, again, scored the 2-2 goal in the middle of a passive Marseille defense (29th). The two teams returned to the locker room at the break with the same score as in the first leg but the evening would quickly turn around. From the 48th minute, Aubameyang scored twice with a sumptuous acrobatic return from a cross from Harit (3-2, 47th). A brilliant gesture which left Gattuso unmoved, anxious not to relive the same scenario of the equalizer a third time.

The Italian coach could breathe, the match seemed to have chosen its winner after the expulsion of the Dutchman Berghuis (63rd), guilty of a dangerous tackle on the disappointing Correa. But OM obviously likes to put obstacles in their way, even in numerical superiority. Ajax snatched the 3-3 thanks to Akpom (3-3, 79th), suggesting that these two sick teams were condemned to share the points. An outcome ultimately refused by Ramaj, the Amsterdam goalkeeper, who punched Sarr's face with his fist after an aerial exit that was as incomprehensible as it was missed. A godsend for Aubameyang, who did not tremble in the final moments to offer victory to his team (4-3, 93rd) and distinguish himself with a hat-trick including two penalties. At the end of suspense and disorderly madness, the Marseillais qualify for the round of 16 of the competition and will play for first place, which belongs to them this evening, against Brighton (winner of Athens 1-0) during of the last day of group B.