Marseille see Champions League chance slip further away

TL;DR

Marseille's hopes for Champions League qualification dimmed after a 1-1 draw with Nice. Elye Wahi's late penalty equalized for Nice, leaving Marseille six points off the top four in Ligue 1.

Key points

Marseille drew 1-1 with Nice at the Velodrome
Elye Wahi scored a late penalty for Nice
Marseille is now six points off Champions League qualification

MarseilleNiceLyonLille

Elye Wahi scores the 'panenka' penalty that gave Nice a point and left Marseille further from Champions League qualification (Thibaud MORITZ) (Thibaud MORITZ/AFP/AFP) Marseille saw the prospect of Champions League football slip further away as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Nice at the Velodrome on Sunday. The Marseille hierarchy hoped a verbal blast from sporting director Medhi Benatia following a pitiful 2-0 defeat to Lorient last weekend would fire the players to a desperately-needed three points to relaunch their bid for a top-four place in Ligue 1. Captain Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg put them ahead with a diving header in the second half, but Elye Wahi grabbed a point for the visitors with a 'panenka' penalty in the 88th minute. To rub salt into Marseille's wounds, Wahi was one of their high-profile signings in 2024 before leaving the club after just six months. The draw leaves Marseille sixth and staring at a financially damaging failure to qualify for Europe's top club competition. The top three teams in France earn Champions League places while the fourth-placed club goes into the qualifying rounds. Marseille are four points behind Lyon and Lille, who both have 57 points, and three behind Rennes. Lille secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory away to Paris FC on Sunday to stay firmly in contention for an automatic Champions League place. Belgian forward Matias Fernandez-Pardo converted a 26th-minute penalty after a foul on , sending former goalkeeper the wrong way with his spot kick. The win puts Lille level on 57 points with third-placed Lyon, who beat 3-2 on Saturday. However Lille will rue their narrow victory as they now have the same goal difference as Lyon, but the run-in favours Lille who will face lower-table clubs Le Havre and Auxerre. Lyon, on the other hand, still have to play Rennes, who have their own European aspirations. Elsewhere, staved off relegation for at least another week with an entertaining 4-4 draw away to Le Havre. was Metz's saviour, scoring in the 85th minute to bring the scores level having earlier netted from the penalty spot. bur/gj/mw

Q&A

What happened in the Marseille vs Nice match?

Marseille drew 1-1 with Nice, with Elye Wahi scoring a late penalty to equalize after Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg had put Marseille ahead.

How does Marseille's draw affect their Champions League chances?

The draw leaves Marseille in sixth place, four points behind Lyon and Lille, making their Champions League qualification increasingly unlikely.

Who scored the goals in the Marseille vs Nice match?

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg scored for Marseille, while Elye Wahi equalized for Nice with a 'panenka' penalty.

Marseille see Champions League chance slip further away

TL;DR

Key points

Q&A

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