FEATURE | Three things we learned as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s brace seals Marseille’s comeback win against Newcastle

Olympique de Marseille registered a crucial win against Newcastle United (2-1) in their quest to progress in the UEFA Champions League.

Aubameyang: c’est le bon vin

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was exceptional in his one season at Marseille, netting 30 goals in 51 games. But it looked to be his swansong as he ultimately departed at the end of the season to move to Saudi Arabia. Then came the return. During his year in the Gulf State, he spoke glowingly of his time with Les Phocéens and was motivated for his return, but at 36, it was unclear whether his body was up for the challenge.

With eight goals in 16 appearances in all competitions this season, including a brace against Newcastle, we have our answer. The former Arsenal and Chelsea forward continues to hassle and harry defences. Even when he lacks the finishing touch, as he did in the first half, he still has the instinct to find the spaces.

Those spaces were then exploited in the second half as he netted a quickfire brace, both scored from tight angles. In doing so, he became the oldest player to net a brace in the Champions League for a French club. Aubameyang has aged like le bon vin and continues to make the difference for OM, rolling back the years as he does so.

Bakola and the fearfulness of youth

De Zerbi opted for the fearlessness of youth in giving Darryl Bakola his first-ever start. The OM academy product will celebrate his 18th birthday on Sunday, and he didn’t look ready to be thrown in at the deep end. His technique deserted him in the opening exchanges and his confidence immediately dropped. He failed to recover and when he wasn’t hiding from the ball, he was making the wrong decisions, slowing the game when he should have accelerated it, and vice versa; coming short when he should have gone in behind; and failing to find the right weight of pass.

His defining moment, however, came in the 36th minute, when he did find the right space in the box, took the ball past Fabian Schar, but then, instead of shooting, dived, earning a yellow card; fear of missing the chance meant that he didn’t take it on at all.

It was a surprise when he wasn’t hauled off at half-time, especially given that Matt O’Riley was warming up throughout the first half, but he slightly redeemed himself with an assist for OM’s equaliser, even if it was a routine ball, awfully handled by Nick Pope, whose misreading of the situation was the source of the goal.

Pope fallible… and droppable?

Pope has not exactly been in glittering form for Newcastle in recent weeks. The English goalkeeper’s intervention in the opening seconds of the second half proved the difference. He completely misread the situation as Bakola put the ball in behind. It was never his ball to handle and, with Aubameyang wide and being shepherded, he should have stayed on his line. Instead, he ventured into no man’s land, practically gifting Marseille their equaliser. From their Newcastle crumbled and within moments, they were behind. It was Aubameyang again and whilst it was a well-placed shot from the striker, there is the question over whether he could have done better, given that it was at his near post.

Newcastle signed Aaron Ramsdale in the summer, and he has yet to be truly utilised (two EFL Cup appearances, one Premier League appearance off the bench). Will Pope’s blunder offer the former Arsenal man a chance to stake a claim in the coming weeks?

GFFN | Luke Entwistle – reporting from Marseille

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