Olympique Marseille versus Manchester United – UEFA Champions League Player Ratings (Part 2)
In the first part of this series, we discussed player ratings for Marseille’s defensive back four, this time it is turn for the French champions’ midfield five and Brandao to be evaluated as per their performance on 23rd of February, 2011 at Stade
Vélodrome.
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Charles-Kaboré-c8820
Didier Deschamps trusted Charles as a defensive midfield enforcer in his team’s first leg tie versus Manchester United and the http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Burkina-Faso-c2862 international didn’t disappoint in all honesty. On the other end, it was Darren Gibson who played as the furthest
of United’s midfield trio. Kaboré tracked Gibson’s movement to every perfect inch which allowed the likes of Loic Remy to surge forward in attack. Termed as a water carrier for his team mates, Charles did well on the night and will look to improve on his display
at Old Trafford on 16th of March. Rating: 7.5/10
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Lucho-González-c22568
The ex-Porto midfielder was termed as Marseille’s playmaker and their main creative threat before the encounter against Manchester United but http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Gonzalez-c15099 was denied the space and time on the
ball to find a killer pass. Nonetheless, he put in a good shift. Overall, Lucho lacked pace and ambition in his performance on the night which will cost Marseille greatly at Old Trafford.
Rating: 6.5/10
Edouard Cissé
Edouard was tasked with supporting Brandao in attack but Manchester United’s midfield trio made it hard for the French midfielder to make his mark on the game. On the whole, Cisse played as a defensive minded midfielder rather than an offensive one which
totally defied his role at the start of the match. His lack of penetration and sophistication with his passes was a telling factor on the night as he often played the ball to both the wingers in order to rid himself of playmaking responsibilities.
Rating: 6/10
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/André-Ayew-c5619
The Ghanaian international was a sight for sore eyes on the night as his trickery and pace down the right hand side troubled Manchester United’s left back Patrice Evra throughout the match. However, Ayew was at fault in the first half when he wasted what
was Marseille’s best chance on the night to get a crucial home goal. Not only that, Ayew also failed in his defensive responsibilities at numerous occasions in the match as he overlooked Patrice Evra’s offensive runs. Regardless, in what was a dull match overall,
Ayew provided entertainment and skill which is a rare commodity in tightly contested European fixtures.
Rating: 7/10
Loïc Remy
Marseille’s main man, Remy was seen as the man who would make up for Mathew Valbuena’s absence for the French champions. He started the match on the right wing but http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Patrice-Evra-c29231’s tight marking forced him to switch flanks in the second half. Faced with the
pedestrian John O’Shea in the second half, Remy looked threatening every time he took on the Irishman in a one-on-one situation. However, Didier Deschamps decided to replace Remy near the 80th minute mark in the second half to bring on Valbuena,
who didn’t do much himself. Rating: 6/10
Brandao
Tasked with the responsibility of playing as Marseille’s sole striker on the night, Brandao cut a shape of a lonely figure throughout the match. His lack of pace and movement made it harder for Marseille to break down an already resolute Manchester United
defense. As the match progressed, Brandao became frustrated and started to commit petty fouls which didn’t help Marseille’s cause on the night. When both the teams meet on 16th of March for the second leg, Brandao might not make it to the starting
lineup for the French giants such was the extent of disappointment that the home crowd displayed at their target man’s profligacy.
Rating: 5/10
Next up, it is Manchester United’s turn to face their verdicts in the follow up part 3rd part of this player rating series.
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