Greenwood Double Sinks Union Despite Khalaili Heroics
Key Takeaways
- Marseille edged Union St.-Gilloise 2-3 in thrilling Champions League encounter
- Mason Greenwood's brace proved decisive for the French visitors
- Anan Khalaili scored twice but couldn't prevent Union's home defeat
- Both teams remain on six points in precarious European positions
Two teams desperately seeking Champions League salvation delivered a pulsating encounter at Lotto Park, where Marseille secured a crucial 2-3 victory over Union St.-Gilloise. With both sides languishing on six points - Union in 25th and Marseille in 21st - every goal carried enormous weight in their European ambitions.
The match exploded into life within five minutes when Anan Khalaili announced his arrival with a stunning left-footed strike from outside the box, Rob Schoofs providing the assist as the Belgian winger found the bottom right corner. However, Marseille's response proved swift and devastating. Igor Paixão leveled matters in the 15th minute, his right-footed effort from the centre of the box flying into the top left corner to silence the home crowd.
The visitors seized control through a devastating counter-attack in the 41st minute, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's pace and vision setting up Mason Greenwood for a clinical right-footed finish into the bottom right corner. The English forward wasn't finished there - seventeen minutes into the second half, Matt O'Riley's clever assist found Greenwood again, this time dispatching with his left foot to the bottom left corner for his second of the evening.
Marseille dominated possession with 59.4% of the ball and registered ten shots to Union's six, but the hosts refused to surrender. Khalaili emerged as Union's beacon of hope, netting his second goal in the 71st minute with a right-footed strike from the centre of the box that found the bottom left corner, setting up a grandstand finish.
The final twenty minutes descended into chaos as Union threw everything forward. Kevin Mac Allister thought he'd completed a remarkable comeback in the 76th minute, only for VAR to cruelly rule him offside. Gerónimo Rulli proved Marseille's hero between the posts, making crucial saves from Promise David in the dying moments, including a point-blank header in the 93rd minute that preserved the visitors' slender advantage.
The nervy final ten minutes saw Union create chance after chance, with the Lotto Park crowd roaring their team forward, but Marseille's defensive resolve held firm despite the relentless pressure.
Looking ahead, Marseille will hope this vital away victory provides momentum when they host AS Monaco on December 14, while Union must regroup quickly as their Champions League dreams hang by the finest of threads. Both teams know that with the competition's new format offering little margin for error, every remaining fixture could determine their European fate.