Olympique de Marseille are heading to the UEFA Europa League semifinal after a tense penalty kick shootout win over SL Benfica on Thursday night at the Stade Vélodrome.
Marseille looked to begin overturning the 2-1 aggregate deficit in the first half. Jean-Louis Gasset and his team had six total shots in the first half as they searched for a goal to level the aggregate score.
After 45 minutes, though, the second leg contest remained 0-0, with Benfica still holding onto their advantage as the Portuguese team only had two total shots in the first half.
The OM attack didn't slow down in the final 45 minutes, generating 11 total shots, but the team finally found the back of the net thanks to a goal from Faris Moumbagna in the 79th minute. Moumbagna gave Marseille a 1-0 lead in the second leg match and leveled the aggregate score at 2-2.
LEADING ON THE NIGHT! LEVEL ON AGGREGATE
— Olympique de Marseille 🇬🇧 🇺🇸 (@OM_English) April 18, 2024
ALLEZ OM! LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!#OMSLB | 1⃣ - 0⃣ | 2-2 agg. | ⚪️🔵 pic.twitter.com/wOMd6lOrR6
Neither team could score in the remaining minutes of the match, so the game went to extra time to determine who advances to the Europa League semifinal.
Both teams couldn't find the goal in extra time to allow them to advance to the Europa League semifinal, so the match went to a penalty kick shootout to decide a winner.
Former Paris Saint-Germain standout Ángel Di María would hand OM the advantage in the shootout after missing the first penalty kick for Benfica. Marseille goalkeeper Pau López made a stop on António Silva for the second missed penalty kick by the Portuguese team in the shootout.
Luis Henrique stepped into the box for his penalty kick and converted to send Marseille into the Europa League semifinal, where they'll face Atalanta with a ticket to Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland, on the line.
