Scamacca strikes as Atalanta hold Marseille to boost Europa League dream
Marseille drew 1-1 with Atalanta in a tough Europa League semi-final match at home in France on Thursday.
In just 11 minutes of the game, the guests took the lead with a goal from Gianluca Scamacca. Teun Koopmeiners spotted the striker in the box, where he was free from any defenders, and Scamacca kicked the ball low, hitting the far post. This marked his 16th goal this season in all competitions, which is twice the number he scored during his one season with West Ham.
Marseille's Chancel Mbemba, previously a defender for Newcastle, scored a fantastic long-range goal nine minutes after a corner kick to even the score. The ball hit the post before going in the net. Despite some missed opportunities for both teams, the Italians were content with the outcome as they head into the second leg of the match.
In a thrilling first leg of the Europa Conference League semi-final, Fiorentina managed to secure a slim lead against Club Brugge. La Viola got ahead as early as five minutes into the game thanks to Ricardo Sottil's impressive goal, but Club Brugge's Hans Vanaken equalized with a penalty kick 12 minutes later following a controversial handball call against Cristiano Biraghi.
Before the first half ended, Andrea Belotti managed to score a goal for the home team. He did so by finishing skillfully after Giacomo Bonaventura's powerful shot was fumbled by the opposing goalkeeper, Nordin Jackers. However, the visitors faced a setback when Raphael Onyedika was given two yellow cards within three minutes, leaving them with only 10 players on the field. Nonetheless, Thiago immediately responded by scoring a goal to bring the score level once again.
In the recent game, M'Bala Nzola was brought on as a substitute and managed to score a goal in the last moments of the match by skillfully targeting the bottom corner of the net. Fiorentina seems to have a bit of an advantage in making it to the semi-finals of the Conference League for the second year in a row, but the upcoming game in Bruges next Thursday will still be very significant. This information has been reported by Guardian sport.
Rewritten: The accompanying picture is from Image Photo Agency/Getty Images Europe.
To be truthful, I was hoping for more goals," shared Gian Piero Gasperini, the coach of Atalanta. "We faced some difficulties tonight, but it's still a positive outcome considering that Olympique [Marseille] only lost once in this stadium throughout the year against PSG and always puts in their best performance here."
Scamacca shared with Sky Italia about their team's good outcome despite the challenging atmosphere they experienced. He strives to give his best for his team, and credits his teammates for putting him in favorable conditions wherein he could score.
During an interview with Canal Plus, Amine Harit, the midfielder of Marseille, stated that they had a strategic approach in the game and were aware that they needed to attack and pressure their opponents to make it challenging for them. However, in hindsight, he believed they could have done better. Nevertheless, he expressed that overall, he felt they performed well in the match.
Next Thursday, Marseille will go on a trip to Bergamo for the second leg of the competition. The victors will face either Roma or Bayer Leverkusen in the final, which will take place on 22 May in Dublin. Leverkusen managed to secure a 2-0 advantage in the first leg and will play the second leg on their home turf in Germany.
According to Gasperini, Marseille's ability to reach the semi-finals indicates that they are also proficient in playing away from their home field. Despite their performance away from home not being as impressive as their home games, Gasperini still acknowledges Marseille as a competent team and expects his team to play at their best during their match-up.
We have a fantastic chance to make it to the final. While a 1-1 draw is decent, we must secure a victory on our home turf. Whether we achieve it within the standard 90 minutes, require an extra 30 minutes of play, or even have to resort to a penalty shootout, our aim is to emerge victorious.
