Olympique Marseille spectacular in record setting performance
Olympique Marseille were unstoppable in their dismantling of Slovak side, MSK Zilina, in setting a Champions League away record with a seven-goal performance. The French side won 7-0. With the victory,
Olympique took two matches out of two from Zilina to keep their Champions League hopes alive.
After failing to score in their opening two matches of the group stage, Souleymane Diawara finally got a goal for Marseille in their last meeting with Zilina back on matchday 3. There was no shortage of
goals for Marseille on Wednesday, 3 November, as André-Pierre Gignac led the way, scoring a hat trick.
It was Gignac who opened the scoring in the 12th minute and then doubled Marseille's advantage less than 10 minutes later. Just three minutes after that and Argentine defender Gabriel Heinze rose above
the rest to loop a header into the back of the net. Loic Remy then half volleyed a cross from Benoit Cheyrou in the 36th minute to put Marseille up 4-0 going into half-time.
Marseille didn't have to wait long after the break to pad their lead even further as Argentine midfielder Lucho Gonzalez got his first of two on the night in the 52nd minute. The small contingent of away
traveling fans had barely had time to finish clapping before Gignac claimed his third of the night when he got to the end of a César Azpilicueta cross just two minutes later. Lucho Gonzalez completed the rout with his second in the 63rd minute.
The loss for Zilina officially eliminates them from the next round as they have now lost all four of their first round matches. For Marseille the win was a huge lift as they look to keep pace with Spartak
Moscow who they are now tied with for second spot in the group behind leaders Chelsea who, with their victory on Wednesday, claimed a berth in the next round.
"We started the match well," Gignac explained after the game. "We respected the Zilina team but we scored as many goals as possible. It's good for the goal difference
because there are still two matches and that's important."
Marseille now get set to take on Spartak Moscow on matchday 5, a match which could well decide which of the two teams will progress to the next round.
"We will go to Moscow with the desire to take the three points and the motivation to get through this round," Gignac added, "because it is very important for Olympique
Marseille and the supporters."
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