Solid, confident and at really brilliant times, OM very easily won its first match of the season in the Champions League against Ajax Amsterdam (4-0) on Tuesday. After his encouraging defeat against Real Madrid (2-1) at the opening of his European campaign, Marseille has been successful in recent times, notably against Paris SG and Strasbourg.
Spectacular, Tuesday’s success is also very important in terms of accounting, because the three points taken against this weak Ajax were clearly one of those not to be spinned to hope to pass the cut. “OM can exist in this competition,” promised Roberto de Zerbi on Monday. Travel to Lisbon to face Sporting in three weeks may confirm this.
Peaceao makes the velodrome dance
The hero of the evening is him, Igor Paixao. Arrived this summer from Rotterdam against 35 million euros, the most important transfer in OM history, the Brazilian had indeed started his Marseille adventure at the infirmary. His first steps had been shy, but his sensations seemed to come back little by little.
And Tuesday, the Brazilian winger finally found fire legs to write an impeccable double – and offer his first samba steps in front of the southern turn – even before the quarter of an hour of play. The opening of the Marseille score, in particular, was clear, with a succession of perfect gestures (1-0, 6th).
Six minutes later, the Brazilian doubled the stalling of a drying on a ball easily recovered by Arthur Vermeeren, one of the surprises of the composition of De Zerbi (2-0, 12th).
Ultra effective Aubameyang against Ajax
Very harmless in front, Ajax version 2025, really not the best in the big history of the club, was also very imprecise behind and in the middle. And on a new ball stupidly lost by the Dutch midfielder, OM was merciless, fast and precise, by Mason Greenwood (3-0, 26th).
The Marseillais then mainly managed but still shone on a goal of 100 meters or almost, where everything was again remarkably achieved, with Greenwood originally, Vermeeren and Paixao in relay and Aubameyang in the top floor of the rocket (4-0, 52nd). The Gabonese decidedly loves Ajax, since to his goal and his two assists on Tuesday, we must add the five goals scored during the double confrontation of 2023 between the two teams (3-3 and 4-3).
As he really did not want to take a goal against a club where he was in check, Geronimo Rulli for his part succeeded in a superb stop (71st) and the Marseille evening was therefore almost perfect. The only black point is the injury of Facundo Medina but this new OM has thickness and resources in all lines.
