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Vélodrome, Marseille
Tuesday 4 November 2008 - 20.45CET
Group D - Matchday 4

Erik Gerets has a multitude of good memories tied up with PSV Eindhoven, but watching his Olympique de Marseille side severely compromise their European chances away to his old club on Matchday 3 is not one of them. With the Dutch outfit due at the Stade Vélodrome on Tuesday, the Belgian trainer has urged his players to grasp their first points in UEFA Champions League Group D.
‘Like a friendly’
“Our game over there was a catastrophe,” lamented Gerets, who lifted the European Champion Clubs’ Cup as a PSV defender and masterminded two Dutch title wins during a later spell as coach. “It remains a bad memory for me. It was like we were playing a friendly.” A Danny Koevermans double consigned Marseille to their third straight defeat in this year’s competition – their sixth stretching back to last season – and that sorry record leaves their European prospects hanging by a thread. Draw and they will be eliminated; lose and they cannot even aspire to third spot and the UEFA Cup.
Better light
Those hoping OM can still grace the knockout phase ought to draw inspiration from Newcastle United FC, who kicked off with three losses before progressing in 2002/03, yet Gerets does not seriously expect a repeat. With seven points apiece, Liverpool FC and Club Atlético de Madrid look the overwhelming favourites, focusing Marseille minds on wresting third place from PSV – and, above all, on doing themselves justice. “I think it’s unfair that we have zero points,” explained Gerets. “Apart from the PSV match, we’ve played at a good level and shown that we’re good enough for this competition. We just lost concentration. I want us to show ourselves in a better light and demonstrate that we’re better than the opposition.”
Niang doubts
The 54-year-old feels they can do just that if they match their performance from the weekend, when French international Hatem Ben Arfa led them to a 3-1 home win against AS Saint-Etienne. That took the Mediterranean outfit up to second in Ligue 1, four points behind Olympique Lyonnais, but first-choice striker Mamadou Niang remains doubtful with a groin injury and Karim Ziani is troubled by a muscle problem. Ben Arfa, Vitorino Hilton, Bakari Koné and Lorik Cana all appear to have recovered from slight knocks.
Bréchet absence
PSV are deprived of French defender Jérémie Bréchet, meanwhile, with Mike Zonneveld (back) and Nordin Amrabat (groin) uncertain to feature. On the plus side, key man Ibrahim Afellay has shaken off a minor complaint and both Stijn Wuytens and Jan Kromkamp are available again after returning to action in Saturday’s 2-0 home triumph over Willem II, a result that lifted the Boeren to fourth in the Eredivisie, a point shy of the pacesetters.
Belief present
The task for coach Huub Stevens will be to channel the confidence raised by that outcome into a second victory over Marseille, and hope that is enough to close the four-point gap on the section leaders. “Given the draw between Atlético and Liverpool in their last game, it will be difficult for us to go through, but we still have to believe,” said Stevens. “We need to keep trying and, of course, we’re here to win.”
Zenden looking for lift-off against PSV
Having launched his career at PSV Eindhoven 14 years ago, Dutch midfielder Boudewijn Zenden is hoping his alma mater will serve as a springboard once again on Tuesday, with his current side Olympique de Marseille bottom of UEFA Champions League Group D and desperate to restate their European aims in the Stade Vélodrome showdown.
‘Key match’
A fourth consecutive defeat for Erik Gerets and his men would end their presence in the continental arena for at least another year, but victory would pull them level with their opponents on three points and leave them eyeing a UEFA Cup place at least. “It’s a key match,” said Zenden, who climbed through the ranks at the PSV Stadion before taking his first steps in the professional game there in 1994/95. “We know that if we win it will bring us back to life. We need to win to at least be in the running for the UEFA Cup. As for anything more than that, we’ll have to wait and see. This game is about making sure we’re still in Europe next year.”
High standards
The goal is fairly clear, then, but it was equally evident last time out, when two Danny Koevermans strikes condemned OM to a 2-0 defeat in Eindhoven that all but crushed their hopes of UEFA Champions League progress. “We weren’t up to our usual standards in that match,” countered Zenden, who came on as a substitute for the final eight minutes. “You have to be at your best in the Champions League and I’m sure we will be tomorrow. Our game over there isn’t a good reference point for this one.”
Confidence rising
The 32-year-old considers OM’s recent Ligue 1 form a better guide, in fact, having watched from the bench as his colleagues overcame visitors AS Saint-Etienne 3-1 on Saturday. “We’ve got quite a lot of confidence at the moment,” he explained. “We’ve played well for a few games, even if the results haven’t always followed. From what you saw against St-Etienne, we’re good enough to win. We dominated, created chances and proved decisive from set-pieces.”
PSV recollections
Summer signing Hatem Ben Arfa was heavily involved in those, guiding corners on to the heads of Benoît Cheyrou and Taye Taiwo for two of the goals and registering himself from the penalty spot. The 21-year-old has been keeping Zenden out of the side and ought to again on Tuesday, but his senior colleague would love another crack at his old club. “They’re kind of like home for me,” he said. “I went there when I was 13 and spent four years in the first team. They helped me get a move to [FC] Barcelona and they’re very close to my heart.”