Next up, Marseille host Ajaccio in Ligue 1 looking to continue their good form, with Sporting travelling to Santa Clara in the Primeira Liga.
Marseille secures their first Champions League win of the season after a convincing victory against Sporting. However, the Portuguese outfit were the architects of their own downfall and collapsed after taking an early lead. They looked on course to pick up their third consecutive win after Trincao scored after 51 seconds, curling the ball from just inside the box into the bottom corner. However, a nightmare performance from Adan changed their fortunes. Before being sent off for handing the ball outside the box, the Spaniard gifted Marseille two goals. First smashing a clearance against Sanchez, with the ball ending up in the net, he then messed up a free-kick. Launching the ball straight to Guendouzi, the French side worked the ball to Clauss who crossed towards Harit. The Moroccan got ahead of his man, heading past Adan. Moments after his red card, his replacement conceded a third. From a corner, Balerdi got to the ball before Israel, powering it into an empty net. After a convincing first half performance, Marseille got a late second half goal to convey their dominance on the scoreline. It was Mbemba who scored it, scurrying the ball past two Sporting defenders before lashing it in.
90' + 3' FULL-TIME: MARSEILLE 4-1 SPORTING CP
90' + 2' Trincao sends a deep free-kick into the box, but his cross is knocked back to Lopez by Mbemba.
90' Three minutes of additional time will be played.
88' It has been 30 minutes since Sporting last attempted a shot in this game. However, they have kept the score down, with this being their main aim.
86' WHAT A MISS! Sanchez goes around Israel and has an open goal to shoot into but hits the side of the net. The forward claims he was touched by the goalkeeper, but his claims are waved away. Goal-kick to Sporting.
C. Mbemba
Goal
84' GOAALLL! MBEMBA SCORES! 4-1! It’s a composed finish from the defender. Sanchez’s shot from a tight angle is palmed to his feet. Shaping to shoot, he rolls the ball past Reis and Inacio, who were anticipating a shot, smashing the ball across the goal into the bottom corner.
82' Marseille have been targeting the right side of the Sporting defence all game. The all-action full-back Tavares has been terrorising the opposition but his end product has failed him so far.
80' Tavares curls the ball towards Kabore but his header goes wide of the goal. He was under pressure from Reis.
79' Tavares is involved again, this time smashing the ball over the bar from distance.
78' Poor from Tavares. He is given the ball by Guendouzi but chips the ball out of play. Sanchez cuts a frustrated figure after bursting towards the near post.
S. Gigot
E. Bailly
77' Substitution for Marseille, Bailly is replaced by Gigot. The Manchester United loanee has not been challenged in this second half.
Gerson
A. Harit
77' With one goal and one assist, Harit is given a rest. He is replaced by Gerson.
76' Although pushing to score, Marseille's intensity going forward has certainly lowered in this second half. They seem satisfied with the scoreline, with Harit failing to cause the same level of threat as he did in the first 45 minutes.
74' Kabore gets a chance to cross from the right but his wild effort goes out for a goal-kick.
73' Tavares adventures forward once again and lays the ball inside to Harit. Looking to shoot, Harit cannot get the ball under control and it is cleared away.
72' Tavares drags a shot with his right foot wide of the post.
71' Trincao bursts down the right but has nobody to support him and is crowded out by three Marseille defenders. Turning back, his loose pass towards Esgaio goes out of play for a throw-in.
69' Harit and Tavares combine down the left before the Arsenal loanee drills the ball towards Kabore. He misses the target, but the flag is up with Tavares in an offside position.
67' Guendouzi curls a tame free-kick over the bar. There were only two men in the wall, so goalkeeper Israel could see the ball all the way.
64' Marseille's torrid run in the Champions League looks like it is about to come to an end. They have lost 16 of their last 17 Champions League matches (W1), failing to score in 11 matches in this run, including both games this season.
P. Gueye
C. Ünder
62' Substitution for Marseille. Under is replaced by Gueye.
V. Rongier
J. Veretout
62' Substitution for Marseille. The carded Veretout is replaced by Rongier.
60' Inacio feeds the ball to Paulinho on the edge. Looking to turn, he is tackled with the ball diverting out for a corner. Trincao was free in the middle and would have had a simple finish if he could have been found.
58' Marseille miss another opportunity to get inside the Sporting defensive third. This time it is Tavares who bursts down the left but he struggles to get the ball under control. If he could, Harit was rushing free down the left.
56' Under and Sanchez combine down the middle of the pitch, but the latter flicks the ball too far and Israel collects. The former Arsenal man looks frustrated at the quality of the pass.
55' Guendouzi is back on the pitch and is fine to continue.
54' Paulinho has been directly involved in six goals in his 10 Champions League appearances for Sporting CP (4 goals, 2 assists), the joint-most of any player for the club since the start of last season. Against Spurs, he was the first player to both score and assist in the 90th minute of a Champions League game since Neymar for Barcelona vs PSG in March 2017.
52' A strange tackle from Paulinho. He crashes into Guendouzi on the halfway line. He avoids a yellow card, but Guendouzi is down and is hurt.
51' Positioned on the edge of the box, Alexandropoulos curls the ball just past the outside of the post. Lopez was not sure of the shot and scrambles across his line to see it wide.
50' Trincao looks to burst down the right and pushes the ball forward. Facing himself in a foot race against Bailly, the defender slides in to gain possession.
48' Esgaio is the only Sporting player to have been given a yellow card in the first half to remain on the pitch for the second. He must stay composed, as the away side have now made all four substitutions.
46' The game is back underway for the second half.
José Marsà
J. St. Juste
46' Substitution for Sporting. Juste, who is on a yellow card, is replaced by Martinez.
Flávio Nazinho
M. Ugarte
46' Substitution for Sporting. Ugarte is replaced by Nazinho.
S. Alexandropoulos
Pote
46' Substitution for Sporting. Goncalves is replaced by Alexandropoulos.
Paulinho
Nuno Santos
46' Substitution for Sporting. Gomes, who is on a yellow card, is replaced by Fernandes.
Sporting should look to keep the score down and remain with 10 men on the pitch. With Edwards substituted, their chances of getting back into this game are slim. Additionally, with three men on a yellow card after wild challenges, they should be taken off before they are sent off. For Marseille, they will certainly score more if they stick with the same intensity. Harit and Under are causing constant problems and should target Santos, Juste and Esgaio who are all carded.
Marseille are on course to collect their first win in the Champions League this season after a dominant first half display over 10-man Sporting. The away side took an early lead through Trincao after 51 seconds, with the Barcelona loanee curling the ball past Lopez, but that’s as good as it got for the Portuguese outfit. Sanchez chased down Adan before the Sporting goalkeeper cleared the ball against his foot from close range, with the ball bouncing into the net, before Tudor’s men found a quick second. Latching onto a poor ball forward from Adan, Marseille retained possession before Clauss found Harit with a deep cross who headered in his first goal of the season. Adan’s time on the pitch then came to a sudden conclusion, with the goalkeeper shown a red card for handing the ball outside the box before the home side added a third. It was Balerdi who scored, knocking in a corner from Harit.
45' + 3' HALF-TIME: MARSEILLE 3-1 SPORTING CP
45' + 1' Juste goes down after Sanchez pulled his arm inside the Sporting box. The Marseille man feels the challenge was fair but the free-kick is given.
45' Israel gets his gloves on a cross from Tavares. Aimed at Sanchez, the goalkeeper needed to keep a hold of that and does.
44' CLOSE! Balerdi almost gets his second after getting on the end of a cross from Under but hits the side of the net.
J. Veretout
Yellow Card
43' Veretout gets a yellow card for his part in the scuffle.
Ricardo Esgaio
Yellow Card
43' There is a scuffle after Tavares is taken down after multiple challenges. Esgaio is down holding his head and gets a yellow card for his troubles. He charges through Tavares and could be considered lucky not to have been given a red card.
Nuno Santos
Yellow Card
40' Santos now gets a yellow card after flying into Marseille substitute Kabore.
39' Mbemba and Harit combine with the latter laying the ball into the path of Under who smashes over from inside the box. However, the flag goes up, with Harit in an offside position when bursting down the right of the box.
37' Under whips a ball into the box from the right. His cross is inviting, with Israel pushing the ball out of danger. Sanchez looks to get a touch on the ball but he is in an offside position and the flag goes up.
35' Harit whistles a shot just past the post after the free-kick was rolled into his path. He was under no pressure, with the Sporting players expecting a cross from the left.
J. St. Juste
Yellow Card
34' Juste gets a yellow card for taking down Harit just outside the box.
I. Kaboré
J. Clauss
32' Substitution for Marseille. The injured Clauss is replaced by Kabore.
30' Clauss is down and is receiving treatment.
A. Harit
Assist
28' Harit adds to his goal with an assist. His corner invites Balerdi to get his head on it, with the defender getting to the ball before the goalkeeper.
L. Balerdi
Goal
28' GOAALLLLL! 3-1 MARSEILLE! It’s a third mistake of the evening from a Sporting goalkeeper. Balerdi gets to a corner from Harit before Israel who looks to punch the ball away. The substitute goalkeeper completely misses it, and the ball ends up in the net.
27' Sanchez looks to bend the ball into the top corner from the resulting free-kick but the wall does its job. The ball goes out for a corner.
F. Israel
M. Edwards
26' Edwards has looked energetic so far but has been substituted. Wibmer is on the pitch replacing Adan who saw red moments before.
Adán
Red Card
23' It’s gone from bad to worse for Sporting and Adan, with the goalkeeper now seeing red. Rushing out, he stops the ball from going to Tavares with the ball bouncing over his head. The referee looks to play advantage, but there is none. The goalkeeper completely misjudges the flight of the ball and has paid the price.
19' Marseille are looking to avoid losing their opening three Champions League matches for a third consecutive participation, also doing so in 2013-14 and 2020-21. Indeed, no side has ever lost their opening three games in three consecutive Champions League appearances.
J. Clauss
Assist
16' Clauss puts a brilliant cross into the box, but Adan is at fault for the goal. His poor clearance goes straight to Guendouzi, with the French outfit passing it around before finding Clauss. He then finds Harit who does the rest.
A. Harit
Goal
16' GOALLLL! HARIT SCORES! 2-1 MARSEILLE! In an instant, the home side lead. Clauss finds Harit with a deep cross into the box. The scorer gets in front of his marker and heads the ball past Adan. Harit scores moments after having a low drive saved by the Sporting goalkeeper.
A. Sánchez
Goal
13' GOAALLLL! SANCHEZ SCORES! 1-1 ! Marseille equalises through Sanchez. Adan hovers on the ball inside his own six-yard box. Under pressure, he smashes an attempted kick upfield against the former Arsenal man, with the ball deflecting into the net off the post.
11' Sporting have won their opening two matches in a Champions League season for the first time, beating Eintracht Frankfurt and Tottenham. They lost their opening two matches last season but they’ve won five of their six group stage matches in the competition since then.
9' SAVE! Sporting could and maybe should be 2-0 ahead. Edwards is the instigator once again, playing the ball through to Pote who smashes the ball straight at Lopez.
7' Clauss plays the ball from the right inside to Sanchez but his attempt is blocked inside the box.
5' Chance for Marseille. Harit and Sanchez combine with a one-two outside the box before the former strikes a low shot straight at the goalkeeper from a tight angle.
3' Another chance for Trincao inside the box but his effort is blocked.
M. Edwards
Assist
1' Edwards' neat pass gives Trincao something to run onto. The winger then ambles towards the box under little pressure and strikes the ball past Lopez.
Trincão
Goal
1' GOAALLLLL! WHAT A START! 1-0 SPORTING! It’s an electric start from Sporting. Edwards flicks the ball down the right to Trincao who bursts forward. The man on loan from Barcelona then cuts in and curls a low shot into the bottom corner. It's the fastest Champions League goal so far this season.
1' Sporting gets this Champions League game underway.
The start of the match will now be 15 minutes later than expected, because of Sporting's bus arriving late due to traffic.
As for Sporting, they make two alterations to the team that beat Gil Vicente. Juste replaces Martinez in the middle of the defence, with Edwards coming in for Paulinho in the striking position. The away side will look to use Paulinho and Gomes from the bench for a second consecutive game, with the pair scoring the late winners as substitutes against Tottenham.
Marseille make five changes to the side that beat Angers in Ligue 1. Gigot, Kabore, Gerson, Payet and Suarez all come out of the starting 11 and are replaced by Bailly, Tavares, Under, Harit and Sanchez. Mbemba, who was sent off against Tottenham in their Champions League opener, gets his place back in defence.
SPORTING CP SUBS: Franco Israel, Andre Paulo, Abdul Fatawu Issahaku, Arthur Gomes, Jose Martinez, Sotiris Alexandropoulos, Flavio Jacinto Dos Nazinho, Paulinho, Rochinha.
SPORTING CP (3-4-2-1): Antonio Adan; Goncalo Bernardo Inacio, Jeremiah St. Juste, Matheus Reis; Ricardo Esgaio, Manuel Ugarte, Hidemasa Morita, Nuno Santos; Trincao, Pote; Marcus Edwards.
MARSEILLE SUBS: Samuel Gigot, Valentin Rongier, Gerson, Pape Alassane Gueye, Luis Suarez, Dimitri Payet, Issa Kabore, Simon Ngapandouetnbu, Ruben Blanco.
MARSEILLE (3-4-2-1): Pau Lopez; Chancel Mbemba, Leonardo Balerdi, Eric Bailly; Jonathan Clauss, Matteo Guendouzi, Jordan Veretout, Nuno Tavares; Cengiz Under, Amine Harit; Alexis Sanchez.
At the summit of the Champions League group, Sporting's fortunes could not be any more different to that of Marseille. With two wins from two games, Ruben Amorim’s men followed their 3-0 away demolition of Frankfurt with a late victory over Tottenham thanks to goals from Paulinho and Arthur Gomes. Beating Gil Vicente in their last Primeira Liga match, Sporting sit in seventh, nine points behind front-runners Benfica.
Marseille have lost both of their Champions League games this season, opening the campaign with a 2-0 defeat against Tottenham before losing to Eintracht Frankfurt in their previous match. Bottom of the group, the French outfit have performed much better in Ligue 1. Winning seven of their nine games, drawing the other two, Igor Tudor’s side are two points behind leaders Paris Saint-Germain and beat Angers 3-0 last time out.
Hello and welcome to the live commentary for the Champions League clash between Marseille and Sporting CP.
Commentary