‘We had our heads in the clouds’ – Roberto De Zerbi praises Marseille’s response against Newcastle

Olympique de Marseille bounced back after conceding early against Newcastle United to return to winning ways in the UEFA Champions League, thanks to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s second-half brace (2-1). Post-match, Roberto De Zerbi praised his side for their reaction, following a sluggish start during which Harvey Barnes gave the visitors the lead.

“The first 10 minutes were bizarre. We had our heads in the clouds,” began the Marseille manager in a press conference attended by Get French Football News. “But then after that, we conceded few chances in the first half, and we created plenty of our own, despite Newcastle’s quality.”

On the implications of a win that boosts OM’s chances of Champions League progression, De Zerbi said, “Confidence is good, of course, especially in this competition. We are also second in the league, behind Paris Saint-Germain (two points away) and we could even have a few more points. We are managing to be competitive in both competitions; it’s good. This win is good for the mental side, in terms of confidence. We showed that we were capable of beating Newcastle. We have three games left that we are equally as capable of winning.”

GFFN | Luke Entwistle – reporting from Marseille