Ligue 1 Talk

Olympique de Marseille will be desperate to avenge themselves against AC Milan when they travel to the San Siro for Matchday 5. Back on Matchday 1 Les Phocéens succumbed to the Rossoneri 1-2, despite the latter’s lackluster form. For Wednesday’s matchup, l’OM have an even more difficult situation to contend with, as they go to Italy to face a revitalized squad.

Will the real Brandão please stand up?

Said coach Didier Deschamps, in the lead-up to today’s match, “We know very well that to expect a good result here, we must be hyper-efficient defensively, defending together, tight between the lines.”

“With the talent that Milan have up front, they can turn the game at any time. The four who play in attack are the strongest in Europe—they have a really interesting attacking animation.”

The calls for defensive cohesion in an effort to contain the likes of Alexandre Pato and Ronaldinho, however, cannot detract OM from pushing forward. A victory, while it is going to prove difficult, is vital for their chances to advance to the knockout stage. A defeat would likely see OM eliminated from the Champions League, while a draw would at best leave them in a precarious spot on Matchday 6, hoping Milan would drop points against Zürich coincident with their overcoming Real Madrid.

While l’OM have not lost in their last 6 competitions, they have in no way looked dominant. Achieving victory in the Clasico over Paris St. Germain last week was an important showing coming off the heart-stopping 5-5 draw against Lyon, but it certainly was not a masterful display. And given PSG’s own struggles, it could be interpreted as a case of being in the right place at the right time.

L’OM’s back line did recover their good form at the Stade Vélodrome, and they will look to carry over that defensive prowess against Milan. But the attacking core is much more uncertain. Fabrice Abriel and Benoît Cheyrou have been key in the midfield, and Mamadou Niang has looked threatening. They will all need to be on form, of course, but much of OM’s success rests upon which Brandão shows up in the front of the attack.

Deschamps’ men are certainly expecting to face a vigilant Milan squad. Not having lost in their last 8 outings, the Rossoneri are currently riding a wave of confidence. Combine their good form and experience with the knowledge that they can secure qualification for the next round with a win (or even with a draw if Real Madrid were also to draw against Zürich), they are aware that this is their match to lose,

With the odds stacked in Milan’s favor at home, we can anticipate them to try to get on the attack early. However, if the offense stumbles and they leave themselves open to strong counterattacks from OM, we could see Leonardo backtracking somewhat, leading to a cautious, concentrated affair from the Italians.

Center-Forward Marco Borriello has been doubtful, but last minute reports have suggested he will indeed start over Filippo Inzaghi, who replaced him during Sunday’s match against Cagliari. Borriello had suffered a knee injury, but if he has already returned to full health he will be a major threat on the attack.

Questions also loom over Milan’s midfield, as Mathieu Flamini and Gennaro Gattuso have only been deemed probable. Of the two, Gattuso is more likely to see the pitch.

Filed under: Olympique Marseille Tagged: | Benoit Cheyrou, Brandão, Didier Deschamps, Fabrice Abriel, Mamadou Niang, Olympique Mar, Olympique Marseille