Gouiri snatches victory from Leverkusen and revives OM in Europa League

Olympique de Marseille secured their first Ligue Europa victory of the season with an away win at Bayer Leverkusen (1-0) on Thursday evening, capping off a solid performance against the group leaders. Amine Gouiri was the hero of the night, scoring the match’s only goal in the final quarter of an hour, rewarding the rigorous defensive display of the Ciel et Blanc.

Buoyed by four consecutive Ligue 1 victories, OM transferred their momentum to the continental stage by neutralizing a German side that had won all three of their European outings. Bruno Genesio made no secret of his satisfaction at the final whistle. “Proud and happy to see my team win here, where it’s never easy, and especially happy to see the team respect the game plan we had put in place,” said the Marseille coach.

The manager particularly emphasized the defensive work accomplished, prepared beforehand during video sessions. “We really focused on that aspect during the team talk. The fact that we didn’t concede a goal and gave away very few chances is a source of pride and an important step forward that we’ll need to confirm.” Refusing to use the word “upset,” Genesio preferred to praise “a fine collective performance” against a continental benchmark.

Beyond the result, this evening in Germany illustrates the psychological transformation of a group shaken early in the season. “What’s happened since the start of the season has brought us even closer together. It makes you want to do even more than what you think you can do,” the coach emphasized with conviction.

On the scoreboard, the victory concretely revives Marseille’s ambitions in the Europa League. With four more matches to play, three of them at home, Genesio is targeting ten or eleven points to finish in the top 24 qualifying spots. But the manager is already calling for caution ahead of a trip to Bollaert to face Lens: “You have to appreciate it but also be careful. Nothing is definitive.”