Marseille finaly catch their breath
After two dramatic, heartbreaking defeats, Marseille found relief at last with a crucial win over Newcastle. Switching to a system with a traditional No. 10, OM set out to suffocate the Magpies from the opening whistle. But their plans were immediately shaken when Harvey Barnes struck early, finishing off a Tonali cross to give Newcastle the lead.
Marseille pushed hard for an equalizer but ran into a compact, disciplined Newcastle defense. Without Woltemade, the English side relied on pace in transition, but fortunately for Marseille, Gerónimo Rulli stood tall. The Argentine goalkeeper kept OM alive with a string of crucial stops, allowing his team to reach halftime still in the match.
Aubameyang, dreadful in the first half with a series of glaring misses, redeemed himself spectacularly after the break. The Gabonese striker netted a second-half brace, a testament to his resilience and big-game character.
With a 2–1 victory, Marseille stay alive in the Champions League group stage.
City fall short
Manchester City learned the hard way that dominating possession doesn’t guarantee victory. Resting Foden, Haaland, and especially their new “Zidane,” Rayan Cherki, City fielded a heavily rotated lineup that repeatedly ran into a sensational Mark Flekken. The Dutch goalkeeper was unbeatable, frustrating every City attempt.
Leverkusen struck first through Grimaldo in the 33rd minute, before Patrick Schick doubled the lead. Algerian playmaker Ibrahim Maza was at the heart of every dangerous move for the Germans—his vision, technique, and passing range marking him as one to watch in Europe.
The French center-back pairing Badé–Belocian delivered a flawless performance, shutting down City’s attempts even after Cherki came on and injected life into the attack. But no matter what City tried, Flekken had all the answers.
Elsewhere in Europe :
- Juventus came from behind to win 3–2 at Bodo/Glimt, overturning an early deficit to claim three vital points above the Arctic Circle.
- Napoli defeated Qarabağ, despite the Italian side’s ongoing struggles away from home.
- Dortmund smashed Villarreal and inserted themselves firmly into the race for a top-eight spot.
- Athletic Club were held to a 0–0 draw by Slavia Prague, leaving their hopes of reaching the second phase hanging by a thread.