1st Team

OM - RB Leipzig (5-2) | Quite simply, incredible!

Posted by
Frédéric Rostain
On Wednesday 5 September 2018 at 12:14

Olympique de Marseille are into the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League for the first time in 14 years on a night of high drama and fervour at the Stade Vélodrome.

Needing two goals at least to qualify, you’d be forgiven in thinking that the tie was over inside just 120 seconds when Leipzig opened the scoring.

Bruma swept through to fire past Yohann Pele inside two minutes, but the Velodrome did not fall silent as OM continued to get the goals they needed.
 
The reward came just four minutes later. From a set-piece, Mitroglou forced Ilsanker into turning into his own net - a goal that lifted the stadium into believing.
 
In a week where both Roma and Juventus staged incredible comebacks, OM sought to make one of their own. After nine minutes, Bouna Sarr crept up after two great saves from Peter Gulacsi to sweep the ball into the net and send the Velodrome into raptures.

 

It was the first time three goals had been scored inside ten minutes in Europa League history. Florian Thauvin, back from injury fired OM into the lead on aggregate just before the break as the temperature rose.
 
But the match was tempered a little when Jean Kevin Augustin reduced the deficit, and put Leipzig ahead on away goals after 55 minutes.

 
OM still needed one however, and it came in emphatic fashion. Payet, who was magisterial throughout the 90 minutes scored a fantastic goal - a strike with the outside of his boot that nestled into the top corner to send OM into delirium.

And as the minutes dragged on for what seemed like an eternity, Hiroki Sakai - on his 28th birthday - put OM over the finish line with the 5th goal and book OM’s ticket into the last four.

The draw for the Europa League semi-finals is on Friday at 12:00 CET as OM join Atletico Madrid, Arsenal and fellow Group I team FC Salzburg in the last four.