Blow to Marseille’s CL hopes
Paris, April 30: A late leveller from Ismael Traore put the brakes on Marseille’s bid for Champions League football next season as the southern giants were held to a 1- 1 draw at Angers on Sunday.
Meanwhile Paris SaintGermains were too held in a 2- 2 draw by Guingamp.
Marseille travelled west hoping to move into the Ligue 1 top three after Monaco were held to a scoreless draw at home to Amiens as Lyon took second by beating Nantes.
Paris Saint- Germain wrapped up the title with plenty of room to spare two weeks ago.
On paper, three points were well within Marseille’s grasp. Coach Rudi Garcia certainly appeared to believe so as he left both Dimitri Payet and Kostas Mitroglou on the bench ahead of Thursday’s Europa League semifinal second leg at Salzburg.
But despite a thirdminute penalty from Florian Thauvin, misfiring Angers finally got back on level terms thanks to Traore’s header from a free- kick on 79 minutes.
Marseille remain fourth, one point behind Monaco in the third and last Champions League qualifying position.
After Monaco’s slip- up, motivation should not have been an issue for Marseille at the Raymond Kopa stadium.
But Garcia’s men struggled to build on the early lead provided by Thauvin after Abdoulaye Bamba had fouled Valere Germain during the first corner of the game.
In wet and slippery conditions both keepers were kept on their toes.
Marseille shot- stopper Yohann Pele produced a great one- handed save to thwart Flavien Tait from a tight angle minutes before the interval. But Ludovic Butelle was the busiest of the pair, the 35- year- old forced into action quickly after the restart.