Pre‑match form and what was at stake
Going into round six, Strasbourg and Marseille looked like two of the league’s most in‑form sides. Liam Rosenior’s Strasbourg had only one loss – a heart‑breaker against Monaco – and had bounced back with wins over Le Havre and Paris FC. What stood out was their willingness to sit back, let opponents hug the ball, then hit on the break. At home, they were a monster: nine wins and two draws in their last twelve matches at Meinau.
Across the channel, Roberto Di Zerbi’s Marseille were humming after a historic 1‑0 win over PSG – their first league victory against the Parisians since 2020. A narrow 2‑1 defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League didn’t dent their confidence; instead it seemed to sharpen their appetite for points. With 36 points and second place on the board, the visitors knew a win would catapult them to first.
Head‑to‑head, the fixture had been a log‑jam of draws. Five of the last six meetings ended level, so both fans were braced for a tight battle. Historically, Marseille held a slight edge (seven wins to Strasbourg’s one), but the recent parity suggested anything could happen.
Match drama and the fallout
The game opened the way it often does in Strasbourg – quick, incisive. Abdoul Ouattara seized a loose ball on the left, cut inside and tucked it past Michael Murillo, putting the hosts ahead. For a while, it looked like another draw in the series.
Marseille, however, were not about to let the night slip. Pierre‑Emerick Aubameyang, still finding his rhythm in Ligue 1, slipped between the centre‑backs and curled a low finish into the bottom corner to level the scores.
Both sides traded blows, goalkeepers making reflex saves and defenders scrambling back. With the clock ticking, tension rose. Then, deep into stoppage time, Murillo – the very keeper who had been beaten – turned hero. He surged forward for a corner, met the ball with a thunderous header and tucked it home in the 91st minute.
The 2‑1 Marseille win sparked wild celebrations on the bench and sent the visitors to the top of the table. For Strasbourg, the loss was a gut punch but also proof that they could claw back against a top side. Rosenior’s men will need to tighten up late‑game concentration, while Di Zerbi will relish the mental edge his squad just gained.
Looking ahead, Strasbourg’s Europa Conference League campaign starts next week, meaning they’ll be juggling European nights and domestic fixtures. Marseille, meanwhile, will try to keep the momentum alive both in Ligue 1 and the Champions League. The battle at Meinau reminded everyone why French football can be so unpredictable – a little patience, a dash of opportunism, and a pinch of drama can turn a regular match into a story worth retelling.
