Olympique de Marseille’s prospects of playing in the UEFA Europa Conference League next season took a hit after a 1-0 loss to Stade de Reims on Wednesday night at Stade Auguste-Delaune.
Marshall Munetsi believed that he had scored the opening goal for Reims less than five minutes into the match against OM, but after a VAR review, the goal was waved offand the contest remained 0-0.
Reims generated three total shots in the first half, and while they didn’t score a goal, they did receive help from Marseille defender Chancel Mbemba, who scored an own goal in the 33rd minute to give the home side the 1-0 lead.
OM had five total shots as they looked to find the back of the net, but after the first 45 minutes, Les Rouges et Blancs would head into the dressing room with a 1-0 advantage.
In the second half, Marseille unleashed a more aggressive attack, generating 14 shots in their attempt to level the scoring. Samba Diawara and his team withstood the offensive onslaught that OM provided in the final 45 minutes.
Mbemba’s own goal was the difference maker in the match, and now Jean-Louis Gasset and his team face a challenging situation if they want to play European football next season.
⏱️ 90+3’ [1-0]
— Stade de Reims (@StadeDeReims) May 15, 2024
🏁 C'est terminé !! Combatifs jusqu'au bout, nos Rouge et Blanc s'imposent ce soir à domicile face à l'Olympique de Marseille au terme d'un match abouti ! 😍🔴⚪️#SDROM #GoSDR pic.twitter.com/X3b1qFLIrR
Heading into the match against Reims, Marseille controlled their destiny, as they needed to win their final two games. Now, with this loss, OM needs to watch the scoreboard on the final matchday.
To qualify for the Conference League next season, Les Phocéens must defeat Le Havre at the Stade Océane while also maintaining their goal differential lead over RC Lens. They’ll also need RC Lens to lose their match against Montpellier Hérault SC and Olympique Lyonnais to fall to RC Strasbourg on Sunday.
Lens are in the driver’s seat after OM’s loss to Reims, as a win would allow them to qualify for European football. As for Lyon, Les Gones need to better Franck Haise and his team’s result to punch their ticket to the Conference League.
Sunday promises to be a thrilling night to see which club secures their ticket to a European competition.
>>NEWS: Stade de Reims Announce Japan Pre-season Tour!
>>FOCUS: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at the Heart of OM’s Attack
