After a convincing start to the season in the league, Olympique de Marseille is approaching the Champions League in the best conditions. Coach Igor Tudor and his men are confident before facing Tottenham on Tuesday (9pm).
For sure, Olympique de Marseille does not keep only good memories of its last Champions League campaigns. The Phocaean club remains marked by its zero score in 2013. But in an affordable group, and after a successful start to the season, the French vice-champion has all the cards in hand to perform well this season.
For Tudor, OM is ready
You only have to listen to the Marseilles team after the victory at Auxerre (2-0) on Saturday to realize the confidence that animates the dressing room. Satisfied with the performance at the Abbé-Deschamps, Igor Tudor feels his team is ready to challenge Tottenham on Tuesday (9pm) in England. “Yes, I think so. The players are. We start with a lot of fit players,” said the OM coach. This year, the group stage is played over two months. It is a fantastic competition, but we must not forget that we are the team of the fourth pot in this group. We want to do well. For that, we need to play well, to be consistent on the field.”
The Marseillais “in confidence
“It won’t be easy against a team from the English league,” warned the coach. But we will do our best. Quite unused in Burgundy, the goalkeeper Pau Lopez also expects “a difficult match” . “But we are confident,” the Spaniard continued in the mixed zone. We want to do well in the Champions League because we made a lot of effort to get there last season. We can do good things if we play well.” “Well within the coach’s style of play” according to Lopez, OM has effectively adapted to a philosophy opposite to that of Jorge Sampaoli. The worries of the preparation have given way to many satisfactions, starting with the experienced recruits (Mbemba, Veretout and Alexis Sanchez) who will bring a plus on the European stage. And who contribute to a depth of staff a priori sufficient to exist on all tables.
Tottenham within reach of OM?
OM can look Eintracht Frankfurt and Sporting Portugal straight in the eyes. And for his part, Valentin Rongier does not make Tottenham an insurmountable obstacle. “We expect a complicated match, it’s the very high level,” the midfielder admitted first (…) But I do not know if it is the most difficult opponent in the group, all teams are difficult to play.” This announces a great opposition between two undefeated teams this season.
