Marseille notched their first points in the league phase of the UEFA Europa League (UEL), running out 1-0 winners at Bayer Leverkusen to inflict a first defeat in 11 European home games on Die Werkself.
Needing to bring their stellar league form into Europe, Marseille started the better of the two sides, having an early chance when Amine Gouiri chested the ball down and took it past Jarell Quansah, but his low shot was saved well by Mark Flekken.
Chances for either side were at a premium after that, but Leverkusen gradually started to look more dangerous, and got their first shot away with Quansah’s volley just before the half-hour mark which sailed over the bar. The quiet first half continued, though Leverkusen began to assert their intentions with a few chances, including when Miguel Gutierrez’s shot was deflected and looped onto the top of the crossbar.
Marseille’s chances of breaking Leverkusen’s record of being the only UEL side yet to concede in the league phase so far took an upturn after the break, but neither Igor Paixao or Geoffrey Kondogbia could find the target with powerful long-range strikes.
It looked like a goalless draw could have been on the cards as both sides’ attacking momentum fizzled out, but a moment of individual brilliance changed that with just over 10 minutes to go.
Gouiri pounced on Aleix Garcia’s loose touch on the halfway line and sprinted towards goal, before cutting in on his right and curling a perfect finish inside the near post.
Carles Martinez Novell tried to rally his troops for some vital final exchanges, but a strong display by the visitors’ backline meant that Jeffrey de Lange was left hardly troubled in the Marseille goal.
It’s a result which bucks the trend for both sides in the UEL, as Marseille broke a five-match losing streak in European competition to finally get their campaign up and running. Leverkusen are rarely beaten in the UEL, especially at the BayArena, where this is their first loss in 11 such matches.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Amine Gouiri (Marseille)
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