Player Ratings | Shakhtar 2-2 Marseille – Les Olympiens held in dramatic fashion to set up nail-biting second leg | OneFootball

Olympique de Marseille led on two occasions but were held dramatically by Shakhtar in Hamburg to set up a nail-biting second leg at the Velodrome. Aubameyang’s landmark goal and Ndiaye’s late strike weren’t enough to bring an aggregate lead back to Massilia, as Matvinyenko’s strike and a dramatic late equaliser from Eguinaldo see the two sides level going into the part two of this Europa League knockout play-off clash.

Gennaro Gattuso’s side travelled to Hamburg to try and forget about their domestic woes in a vital Europa League knockout play-off tie, especially against a Ukrainian side who have not played a competitive match for two months.

Shakhtar’s competitive hiatus didn’t show in the opening minutes of the game, as they started the brighter of the two sides with an early shot from Zubkov had to be tipped over the bar by Pau Lopez. The next 15 minutes would be dominated by home side in terms of possession, but Marseille looked to respond with Gigot’s header which flashed wide of the far post.

The home side had the ball in the back of the net through Eguinaldo but the referee already blew his whistle for an earlier foul before Lopez’s error saw panic in the OM backline. Whilst the away side tried to progress the ball up the pitch, they looked susceptible to Shakhtar’s direct attacking play on the counter-attack.

OM would have one of their best chances of the half on the break, but when Aubameyang was found by Harit, the Gabonese international took too many extra touches inside the box as Shakhtar’s defence came to the rescue. A cagey affair in the first half would turn into an eventful second period…

With Moumbagna getting more involved in the second half, the Cameroonian striker held play up and brought Ounahi into play, and the Moroccan’s strike curled just wide of the post. OM stepped up the pace, and Henrique saw OM’s best chance, a point blank header which bounced just wide of the post – he should have scored.

The away side would find the opener, as Henrique released Clauss down the left side and the France international provided a low cross to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who perfectly side-footed the ball into the back of the net for his sixth Europa League goal this season, joining Radamel Falcao as all-time Europa League goalscorer.

The lead didn’t last long, as Jonathan Clauss’s mis-kick led to a glorious chance for Mykola Matviyenko to equalise, and the Ukrainian took it decisively with a low finish. OM almost grabbed an instant reply, but Henrique couldn’t get a clean connection by the far post.

It was Les Olympiens who then took the lead in the 89th minute, as Aubameyang drove into the box and chipped a deft ball into the path of Iliman Ndiaye who nestled the ball into the back of the net. Yet, in typical OM fashion, Marseille let their opponents back into the game. Brazilian Eguinaldo rose highest to meet Zubkov’s teasing ball into the box and his looped header found its way into the top corner to level the game.

The late leveller will see both sides go into the second leg in level pegging at the Velodrome on Thursday 22nd Febrary4

MARSEILLE PLAYER RATINGS:

Pau López, 4

Quentin Merlin, 5

Leonardo Balerdi, 4

Samuel Gigot, 4

Jonathan Clauss, 5 – A slow start in the first half, but the Frenchman popped up with a lovely cross to assist Aubameyang for OM’s opener. Yet, in comedic fashion, his miss-kick provided Matviyenko with an equaliser.

Amine Harit, 54 – An uncharacteristically sloppy performance from the Morocco international, summed up by Gennaro Gattuso’s rage directed at the player following a misplaced pass in the second half.

Geoffrey Kondogbia, 4

Azzedine Ounahi, 5

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, 6 – Despite some picking up some good positions and the left side and making the odd incisive run, the Gabon international simply couldn’t make his mark on the game, and seemed to drift through the second half. Yet, he plucked up with a lovely side-foot finish to put OM in the lead. It was his 6th UEL goal in 6 appearances this season, as he became joint Europa League goalscorer with Rademal Falcao.

Faris Moumbagna, 5 – Whilst his physical presence allowed Aubameyang more space on the left, Moumbagna couldn’t see much of the ball in the first half. His touches looked laboured despite a commendable work rate.

Luis Henrique, 6

Others: Iliman Ndiaye, 6

SELECTED SHAKHTAR PLAYER RATINGS

Eguinaldo, 6 – The former Vasco da Gama man was the biggest threat from the home side along with Zubkov, bursting down the right side and being in the right positions to strike on goal. He would finally get a deserved goal right at the death of the game, a looping header past Pau Lopez to level proceedings going into the second leg.

GFFN | George Boxall