Marseille's Ligue 1 Title Hopes Dented After 1-1 Draw with Strasbourg

Marseille's Ligue 1 title aspirations suffered a setback as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Strasbourg at the Stade Velodrome, with Mason Greenwood's penalty canceling out Emanuel Emegha's opener.

Olympique de Marseille's Ligue 1 title aspirations suffered a setback as they were held to a draw by RC Strasbourg Alsace at the Stade Velodrome. The match was an engaging encounter, with Mason Greenwood's second-half penalty ultimately securing a share of the spoils for Marseille. This result extended Les Phoceens' dominant head-to-head record against Strasbourg, with only one defeat in 19 league matches.

Marseille's performance was somewhat disjointed, particularly in the opening stages. This lackluster start was punished in the 23rd minute when Emanuel Emegha capitalized on Andrey Santos' precise pass and scored beyond Gerónimo Rulli. Despite this early setback, Roberto De Zerbi's side gradually regained their composure and began to exert pressure on the Strasbourg defense. As the first half progressed, Marseille enjoyed more possession in the final third but struggled to create clear-cut chances.

The best opportunity for Marseille in the first half fell to Luis Henrique, who fired narrowly wide of the target. As a result, Strasbourg maintained their slender lead going into halftime. The draw ultimately extended Marseille's pursuit of league leaders PSG, making the title race even more intense.

Marseille sought to capitalize on their momentum at the start of the second half, determined to secure a crucial win on home soil. Having collected only 12 of their 36 league points at the Stade Velodrome this season, Les Phocéens were eager to improve their home record. Greenwood and Henrique quickly threatened the Strasbourg defense, and Ulisses Garcia narrowly missed a headed opportunity from close range.

Strasbourg gets an important point at the Vélodrome 🔵🤝 pic.twitter.com/ViAjVmy7El

— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) January 19, 2025

The one-sided pressure continued, with Marseille pushing for the equalizer. Henrique's powerful strike rattled the post, and shortly after, the home side was awarded a penalty when Santos fouled substitute Robinio Vaz in the area. Greenwood took responsibility for the spot kick and converted it into the bottom corner, scoring his 13th goal of the season.

Strasbourg nearly regained the lead just four minutes later, but Emegha's effort from the edge of the box crashed against the woodwork. As the match entered its final stages, both teams committed players forward in pursuit of a winning goal. Despite a few half-chances at either end, the game ultimately ended in a draw, with Marseille dropping valuable points in the Ligue 1 title race. Meanwhile, Strasbourg extended their impressive unbeaten run across all competitions to seven matches, with five wins and two draws.