Marseille: Sarr, Ndiaye, Aubameyang… first real test for the new signings
Marseille need their new signings to deliver on Tuesday 15 August to beat Panathinaikos and keep their Champions League hopes alive
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Marseille are already up against it, and so are their African signings. The Olympians host Panathinaïkós on Tuesday 15 August for the second leg of the Champions League third qualifying round. At the Vélodrome, they must respond after the 0-1 defeat in the first leg. In last Wednesday's game, the new signings were conspicuous by their absence. Iliman Ndiaye, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Ismaïla Sarr were anonymous in attack. Geoffrey Kondogbia, who tried to win a few balls and feed his forwards (without success), was sent off for a second yellow card on the hour mark. He will be suspended tonight.
They need to react, and quickly. At Olympique de Marseille more than anywhere, things can change fast, for better or for worse. A good performance on Tuesday could be the trigger for a strong run for Iliman Ndiaye and company. Conversely, a poor display followed by elimination could send them into a downward spiral.
Iliman Ndiaye-Aubameyang, is the connection made?
To go through, Olympique de Marseille must win, and therefore score. That is a job normally left to the forwards. Ismaïla Sarr, who provided the decisive assist against Reims on matchday 1 of Ligue 1 (2-1 win), showed what he could bring with his pace, incisiveness and dribbling, but his two fellow attackers, Iliman Ndiaye and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, are not yet at their best. The former Sheffield man was at least behind Ounahi's goal against Reims. He also showed some flashes. But Aubameyang was a ghost against Pana, and his appearance off the bench against Reims was ultimately unremarkable. Naturally, Marcelino expects more from their partnership.
The Spanish coach also had a few words about his attacking play, notably regarding Iliman Ndiaye. "We expect a full contribution in attack, from build-up to finish. For me, he (Iliman Ndiaye) is not playing as a false 9. He plays as a second striker. I'd be lying if I said we don't need to improve in attack. There have been several changes in the team on the defensive side. It's only been a month, that's not much time, the team is united, we're ready for tomorrow (today, editor's note)", the Marseille manager said at his pre-match press conference. The answer comes from 19:00 GMT.
Read also: Are Olympique de Marseille having the best transfer window in Ligue 1?