The French giants defeated ten-man Ajax in a nail-biting clash.
Marseille defeated Ajax 4-3 in their Europa League game on Thursday. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored a hat-trick to ensure the French side’s victory at Stade Velodrome.
What happened?
The game started with both sides pushing for an early opener, with Marseille scoring the opener only nine minutes into the game. Aubameyang put the hosts ahead by converting a penalty, but Brian Brobbey clinched an equalizer for Ajax only a minute later.
Marseille attacked relentlessly to restore their lead before half-time, finally making it 2-1 through Chancel Mbemba Mangulu. However, Brobbey scored another one to bring Ajax back into the game just before the half-hour mark.
The match’s pace didn’t slow down after the break. Aubameyang put the hosts ahead again only two minutes into the second half. When Steven Berghuis received a straight red card in the 63rd minute, it seemed as if the game was finished for Ajax.
However, Chuba Akpom, who has been enjoying brilliant form in recent weeks, scored a third equalizer for the Eredivisie giants with a precise header.
The exhausted visitors then tried to defend their lead in the final ten minutes. But a last-minute penalty from Aubameyang sealed the victory for Marseille.
Player Ratings
Marseille: Lopez (7); Clauss (7), Mbemba (6), Gigot (6), Lodi (5), Kondogbia (8), Veretout (7), Sarr (8), Harit (7); Correa (6), Aubameyang (9).
Bench: Ndiaye (5), Murillo (6), Ounahi (6), Vitinha (6), Meite (-).
Ajax: Ramaj (6), Gaaei (5), Rensch (6), Hato (4), Sosa (5), Tahirović (5), Taylor (6), Berghuis (7), Borges (6), Brobbey (8), Bergwijn (4).
Bench: Hlynsoon (7), Akpom (7), Martha (5), Salah-Eddine (-), Banel (-).