Europa League: Milan slide further, Marseille finally get off the mark

The fourth matchday of the Europa League delivered contrasting signals for two historic clubs. On Thursday 5 November, Marseille won 1-0 at Leverkusen thanks to Amine Gouiri, while AC Milan lost 2-0 at home to Ferencváros. At the halfway point of the league phase, OM have revived a faltering campaign; the Rossoneri, meanwhile, are seeing qualification drift further away. The evening also confirmed the perfect starts of Benfica and Bournemouth, who were joined on 12 points by Ferencváros. The results are set out in the UEFA round-up and corroborated by Reuters.

Marseille turn a chance into a win

At the BayArena, both teams struggled for a long time to raise the tempo. According to Sky Sport Germany’s report, Leverkusen lacked ideas in their build-up, while Marseille defended deep and waited for a mistake. The deadlock was broken in the 77th minute: Gouiri scored after an individual run to give OM their first win in this league phase. The result is also recorded by UEFA.

The scoreline does not tell the story of sustained Marseille dominance: the team’s main task was to protect their lead once they had taken it. Even so, this is a win of considerable practical value. Before this matchday, OM had not taken a single point; this first success puts them back in the race, without erasing the ground they have lost. It also punishes a German performance that Sky describes as uninspired, but Leverkusen remain on nine points after their three opening wins. The defeat is therefore a setback, not a definitive turning point in their campaign.

At San Siro, a poor pass out from the back proves decisive

Milan came into the match on the back of a derby win over Inter, but could not carry that momentum into Europe. The club confirmed in its official match report that Lenny Joseph scored both of Ferencváros’s goals, in the 52nd and 66th minutes. The first followed a miscontrolled pass out from goalkeeper Lorenzo Torriani, who was pressed by Kristoffer Zachariassen; the second finished a counter-attack led by the same Zachariassen.

The course of the match highlighted the contrast between the two teams: Ferencváros punished mistakes and were clinical at decisive moments, while Milan lacked precision despite responding after the break. The reserve goalkeeper, making his first full appearance according to UEFA, produced several saves before being beaten. The Hungarian club finished with ten men after Bamidele Yusuf was sent off in the 77th minute, but Milan could not find a way through. The club’s account and ESPN’s report, which draws on PA information, agree on these incidents.

The standings make Milan’s defeat more damaging

After four matchdays, Ferencváros have 12 points and share the maximum with Benfica and Bournemouth. Milan remain on three, in 28th place in the standings published by ESPN: the play-off places begin at 24th. This position gives a concrete measure of the problem, without meaning that elimination is already confirmed. There are still four league-phase matches to play, and the gaps can change.

The issue, then, is not limited to losing against an in-form opponent. To reach the qualifying places, Milan will have to convert their chances and cut out the errors playing out from the back that directly cost them two goals. The opposition’s sending-off could have opened the door to a more favourable finish; it was not enough to reverse the trend. According to Reuters, manager Ruben Amorim said his team would keep fighting as long as qualification remained mathematically possible. That statement expresses an aim, not a guarantee that the side can achieve it.

Benfica and Bournemouth keep up the pace

The matchday was not simply a tale of Marseille’s revival and Milan’s decline. Benfica beat Lech Poznań 3-1, while Bournemouth won 3-1 in Prague after falling behind. Ferencváros complete the trio with four wins. UEFA notes that all three clubs have maintained their perfect records; the table published by ESPN places Benfica top on goal difference.

Further down, the evening also tightened the contest: Juventus won 2-1 against AZ, Lyon took a point at Real Sociedad (1-1), and Crystal Palace snatched a draw against Hoffenheim despite having a player sent off. These results are a reminder of the depth of the new league phase: a win moves a club forward, but is not necessarily enough to establish it near the top of the table. Points and goal-difference margins will matter as the matchdays unfold.

The next matchday will be a test of consistency

For Marseille, the immediate aim is to build on this away win. Their next European fixture is scheduled for 26 November against Levski Sofia, according to UEFA’s calendar; that match will reveal more about whether OM have genuinely turned their campaign around. Milan travel to Olympiacos on the same evening. In both cases, the room for manoeuvre is shrinking: OM must make up ground, while Milan need to climb out of the lower reaches of the table.

The lesson of 5 November is less a definitive verdict than a contrast in game management. Marseille waited for their moment and took it; Milan allowed a technical error to define their evening, then failed to make the most of their numerical advantage. With four matches still to play, both clubs have a path to qualification, but will now need to produce more consistent results than they have so far.