In the maiden competitive encounter between the two sides following two friendly meetings, Sporting did not let the delay to kick-off, in which they had been delayed due to traffic, affect them as Francisco Trincao exquisitely curled the ball beyond Pau Lopez to give his side the lead with less than 60 seconds on the clock.
Looking to replicate their domestic form on the continental front, the hosts were indebted to the instincts of Lopez when the Marseille number one redirected Pedro Goncalves’ one-on-one effort away from the back of the net.
However, the visitors were left ruing that earlier miss when Alexis Sanchez brought the match level after Adán’s mediocre attempt at a clearance rebounded off the fast-approaching Chile international.
Incredibly, Adan failed to learn from his error, gifting Marseille the lead three minutes later as the Sporting's shot-stopper’s nightmarish clearance allowed Jonathan Clauss to pick out the head of marauding forward Amine Harit.
Inconceivably, Adan compounded an unforgettable 10 minute-spell in the 23rd minute with a walk of shame down the Stade Velodrome tunnel, following his decision to handle the ball outside the area.
Obligated to sacrifice the energetic Marcus Edwards to introduce Adan’s replacement Franco Israel, Ruben Amorim was left wondering why the traffic could not have delayed the match for longer as Leonardo Balerdi headed in Harit’s corner to conclude an unbelievable quarter-hour of goalscoring for Marseille.
Hoping for a revival on their first footballing expedition to France since 2010, Sporting introduced four alterations for the commencement of the second half to prevent Marseille from registering a potential second victory across their last 1 group and knockout stage matches.
In stark contrast to the escapades throughout the first half, opportunities in front of goal were limited besides Chancel Mbemba’s coolly converted rebound after Israel had only been able to parry Sanchez’s fearsome shot into the defender’s path.
The victory means Marseille have now only suffered one defeat in their last 10 matches at the Stade Vélodrome, while Sporting experienced the unfamiliar taste of failure following their first defeat in the current UCL campaign.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Amine Harit (Marseille)