Bayern Munich 2 – Olympique Marseille 0

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Austria international winger DAVID ALABA (27) of Bayern Munich eyes the ball though running slightly behind Olympique Marseille’s Spain U-21 international fullback CESAR AZPILICUETA (2) during the second leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal tie at the sold-out Allianz Arena in the Bavarian region of southern Germany.
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April 3, 2012
UEFA Champions League
Quarterfinal, second leg

2 – BAYERN MUNICH (Ger) ———————— Olic 13′, 37′
0 – OLYMPIQUE MARSEILLE (Fra)

Continued strong play between the sticks and a couple of first half strikes by the stand-in striker powered four-times European champion BAYERN MUNICH of Germany past visiting French side OLYMPIQUE MARSEILLE 2-0 in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal tie.

Already ahead a pair of goals on aggregate from the first leg contested last week on the Mediterranean Coast, the Bavarians turned the screws on their guests ever more tighter by grabbing the first goal barely a baker’s dozen minutes into the match. France World Cup winger FRANCK RIBERY, on pace for a career-year scoring goals in the Bundesliga this term, fashioned another scintilating run on the right flank before squaring the ball for a sliding Bayern Munich striker IVICA OLIC to stab past Olympique Marseille’s France international goalkeeper STEVE MANDANDA. And, thus, the Croatia international tallied his first goal in Europe for almost two whole years — the last having arrived along with Olic’s hat trick opposite French side Olympique Lyon during the second leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinal at the end of April, 2010.

Germany World Cup goalkeeper MANUEL NEUER of Bayern Munich had already stopped a couple of Marseille shots before midfielder STEPHANE MBIA forced the 26-year-old netminder into a difficult save with a thundering drive from distance. But it was the Marseille captain Mandanda, suspended for the first leg at home, who had more action to contend with in the first half. The Bavarians, meanwhile, were unlucky to have Germany international midfielder TONI KROOS beat the diving French goalkeeper only for the ball to find the post.

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As if the matter were not already settled, Olic scored his second of the match with another close-range connection in the 37th minute. Austria international DAVID ALABA, the versatile 19-year-old who has done well at left back while Bayern Munich have been on this good run of form as of late, provided the service after a strong overlapping run. Leading the charge through midfield had been the irrepressible Ribery.

Olic’s fourth goal of the season for Bayern Munich in all compeititons left Marseille with the mountain it could never hope to climb.

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Olympique Marseille goalkeeper STEVE MANDANDA, the 27-year-old native of what was then known as Zaire (at present, Democratic Republic of the Congo) who has earned 14 senior international caps thus far for France, punts the ball downfield during the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal, second leg match opposite record German titlist Bayern Munich at the sold-out Allianz Arena.
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BAYERN MUNICH : Neuer – Lahm, Boateng, Badstuber, Alaba – Tymoshchuk, Luiz Gustavo – Mueller (Rafinha 39′), Kroos (Pranjic 67′), Ribery – Olic (Gomez 75′)

OLYMPIQUE MARSEILLE : Mandanda – Azpilicueta, Fanni, Nkoulou, Morel (Amalfitano 46′) – Mbia, Cheyrou – A. Ayew – Valbuena, Remy (Kabore 63′), Brandao (Gignac 74′)

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Olympique Marseille 0 – Bayern Munich 2

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Holland World Cup winger ARJEN ROBBEN (10) of visiting German club Bayern Munich, who has tallied nine goals in eighteen European games for the Bavarians altogether since signing from Spanish giant Real Madrid in August of 2009, looks to play the ball ahead of pursuing Olympique Marseille fullback JEREMY MOREL during the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal, first leg match at the Stade Velodrome in the Mediterranean port city located in southeastern France.
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March 28, 2012
UEFA Champions League
Quarterfinal, first leg

0 – OLYMPIQUE MARSEILLE (Fra)
2 – BAYERN MUNICH (Ger) —————— Gomez 44′, Robben 69′

Standout play between the sticks and a strike on either side of the halftime whistle were instrumental as visiting Bundesliga side BAYERN MUNICH blanked struggling Ligue 1 outfit OLYMPIQUE MARSEILLE 2-0 in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals.

Olympique Marseille had not advanced this far in Europe’s premier competition since having won the UEFA Champions League in 1993. However, trainer DIDIER DESCHAMPS side have been floundering domestically and currently occupy a disappointing ninth place in the league table. To make matters worse, the nine-times French champion were also without their first choice for the initial Champions League match with Bayern Munich.

Filling in for France international STEVE MANDANDA, the 27-year-old Olympique Marseille skipper, would be seldom-used Brazilian ELINTON ANDRADE. The 32-year-old veteran has made exactly three appearances in Ligue 1 for the Mediterranean club since transferring from Romanian side Rapid Bucharest in the summer of 2009 and has not featured at all in the French top flight this term. This lack of match practice for Andrade would later become painfully apparent for the Marseille faithful at the Stade Velodrome.

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It was the Bavarians, though, who were forced to call upon their goalkeeper at first. MANUEL NEUER, the newly-turned 26-year-old Germany World Cup shot-stopper who has been in such excellent form for Bayern Munich as of late, answered resolutely and flashed to his left to halt a menacing header from Marseille’s France international defender ROD FANNI off a seventh minute corner. Significantly, the visitors’ luck then held firm when France international striker LOIC REMY could only fire the rebound off the outside of the post.

And, inspite of all the good work to possess the majority of the ball in the first half, Neuer was needed once again to prevent Remy from finding the back of the net with the halftime break approaching.

But then Holland World Cup winger ARJEN ROBBEN, who has really picked up the pace of his offensive production in the month of March, measured a brilliant ball into space for Bayern Munich’s Germany international striker MARIO GOMEZ. With Marseille’s Spain U-21 international defender CESAR AZPILICUETA following closely on his heels, Super Mario struck a first-time shot low, near post which the Marseille goalkeeper appeared to have covered. But the rusty Andrade somehow allowed the ball to slip past beneath and bulge the back of the net to afford last season’s Bundesliga Torjaegermeister a 12th goal in Europe this term.

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The pivotal, first goal from Gomez — his 37th of the season in all competitions for Bayern Munich — only further encouraged the visiting side of trainer JUPP HEYNCKES to maintain an even more disciplined and defensive-minded focus for the second forty-five minutes of play; Neuer, nevertheless, came to the rescue again just after the hour when Remy relieved Germany international defender JEROME BOATENG of the football at the top of the box.

Robben effectively sealed the match (and, perhaps, the tie) with Bayern Munich’s second in the 69th minute. Wonderful one-two stuff with Germany World Cup winger THOMAS MUELLER set the Dangerous Dutchman loose in the box and a world-class, curling finish left Andrade absolutely no chance. A fourth goal in six European matches this term for Robben, who registered four goals in 10 games on Bayern Munich’s march to the UEFA Champions League Final during the 2009/10 campaign.

In this month of March, the re-energized Robben has absolutely riddled the Bavarian opposition in all competitions with eight goals and six assists in seven matches.

Heynckes turned to his bench as Bayern Munich sought to effectively kill off the clock. It is interesting to note that the two defensive reinforcements arriving in the second half, Germany World Cup midfielder BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER and Ukraine national team captain ANATOLI TYMOSHCHUK, have combined for 204 senior caps at the international level. Another 42 appearances for Croatia midfielder DANIJEL PRANJIC only added to the wealth of experience that the Bavarians were able to put on late.

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Ghana World Cup winger ANDRE AYEW (20) of Olympique Marseille, the offspring of the legendary, three-time African Footballer of the Year Abedi Pele, attempts to break clear of Bayern Munich captain and Germany World Cup fullback PHILIPP LAHM during the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal, first leg match at the Stade Velodrome in the Mediterranean port city located in southeastern France.
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OLYMPIQUE MARSEILLE : Andrade – Azpilicueta, Fanni, Nkoulou, Morel – Diarra (Cheyrou 71′), Mbia – Amalfitano (Brandao 68′), Valbuean, A. Ayew – Remy

BAYERN MUNICH : Neuer – Lahm, Boateng, Badstuber, Alaba – Luiz Gustavo, Kroos (Tymoshchuk 63′) – Robben, Mueller (Schweinsteiger 70′), Ribery (Pranjic 78′) – Gomez

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Dass War Karl-Heinz Foerster Mit Olympique Marseille

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Folgend dem Ende der Weltmeisterschaften 1986, deutscher Nationalmannschaft Verteidiger KARL-HEINZ FOERSTER von Vfb Stuttgart nach Olympique Marseille in Frankreich wechselte. Der franzoesische Sportverein hat Foerster, der Bundesligafussballspieler des Jahres 1982 war und auch Bundesligatitel mit Vfb Stuttgart in 1984 gewann, fuer 3.5 Million Deutsche Mark gekauft. Der starke Zentalverteidiger hatte bereits in den Endspielen der 1980 Europameisterschaften und die Weltmeisterschaften 1982 und 1986 mit Deutschland erschient.
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1986/87 Saison — OLYMPIQUE MARSEILLE (Frankreich) … der deutsche Weltmeisterschaften Verteidiger KARL-HEINZ FOERSTER steht zweiter Stelle von Rechts in der rueckseitigen Reihe. Von ihm steht BLAZ SLISKOVIC, der 26 Laenderspielen hatte aber bei der WM 1982 oder Europameisterschaften 1984 mit dem ehemaligen Jugoslawien nicht gespielt hat, Rechts … der Torhueter ist JOSEPH ANTOINE BELL, der 50 Mal mit Kamerun gespielt hat und drei Mal (1982, 1986 und 1990) an einer Weltmeisterschaften war … Franzoesischer WM 1986 Stuermer JEAN-PIERRE PAPIN, der viele Jahre spaeter mit Bayern Muenchen erscheinen, ist Zweiter Stelle von Recht in der erste Reihe.
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81 A Laenderspielen mit zwei Tore fuer Deutschland
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LAUFBAHN von KARL-HEINZ FOERSTER

(nur Spielen und Tore in der Liga)

75/76 … Vfb Stuttgart ………………. 2.Bundesliga …….. 5 Sp. 0 To.
76/77 … Vfb Stuttgart ………………. 2.Bundesliga …… 34 Sp. 5 To.
77/78 … Vfb Stuttgart ………………. Bundesliga ……… 34 Sp. 1 To.
78/79 … Vfb Stuttgart ………………. Bundesliga ……… 34 Sp. 2 To.
79/80 … Vfb Stuttgart ………………. Bundesliga ……… 31 Sp. 2 To.
80/81 … Vfb Stuttgart ………………. Bundesliga ……… 30 Sp. 2 To.
81/82 … Vfb Stuttgart ………………. Bundesliga ……… 26 Sp. 3 To.
82/83 … Vfb Stuttgart ………………. Bundesliga ……… 32 Sp. 2 To.
83/84 … Vfb Stuttgart ………………. Bundesliga ……… 29 Sp. 2 To.
84/85 … Vfb Stuttgart ………………. Bundesliga ……… 29 Sp. 2 To.
85/86 … Vfb Stuttgart ………………. Bundesliga ……… 27 Sp. 1 To.
86/87 … Olympique Marseille …… Ligue 1 ……………. 27 Sp. 2 To.
87/88 … Olympique Marseille …… Ligue 1 ……………. 37 Sp. 3 To.
88/89 … Olympique Marseille …… Ligue 1 ……………. 35 Sp. 1 To.
89/90 … Olympique Marseille …… Ligue 1 ……………… 4 Sp. 0 To.

That Was Klaus Allofs With Olympique Marseille

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As part of the ambitious effort to build the greatest professional football team France had ever seen, wealthy Olympique Marseille owner Bernard Tapie purchased West Germany World Cup striker KLAUS ALLOFS from North-Rhine Westphalian club 1.FC Cologne in the summer of 1987. Although by now 30 years old, the former Bundesliga Torschuetzenkoenig (1979 and 1985) continued to score in Ligue 1 while totaling 20 goals in 53 top flight matches over two seasons on the Mediterranean coast for the southeastern French side. After helping Olympique Marseille to a domestic league and Cup double for the 1988/89 campaign, Allofs transferred to rival Girondins Bordeaux.
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1988/89 season … OLYMPIQUE MARSEILLE (France) … West Germany World Cup striker KLAUS ALLOFS, who claimed Marseille’s last goal during the 4-3 victory over AS Monaco in the 1989 French Cup Final, kneels second from left in the front row … to the right of Allofs and wearing the captain’s armband is France World Cup striker JEAN-PIERRE PAPIN, who later played for both AC Milan in Italy and Bayern Munich in a reunified Germany … to the far right in the back row is veteran defender KARL-HEINZ FOERSTER, who appeared for West Germany in the Final of two FIFA World Cups … both Allofs and Foerster were also in the Startelf at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome when West Germany defeated Belgium 2-1 in the Final of the 1980 UEFA European Championships.
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56 caps (17 goals) for West Germany
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CAREER of KLAUS ALLOFS

75/76 … Fortuna Dusseldorf ……… Bundesliga …….. 12 ga —- 0 go
76/77 … Fortuna Dusseldorf ……… Bundesliga …….. 33 ga —- 7 go
77/78 … Fortuna Dusseldorf ……… Bundesliga …….. 30 ga —- 7 go
78/79 … Fortuna Dusseldorf ……… Bundesliga …….. 33 ga – 22 go
79/80 … Fortuna Dusseldorf ……… Bundesliga …….. 28 ga – 16 go
80/81 … Fortuna Dusseldorf ……… Bundesliga …….. 33 ga – 19 go
81/82 … 1.FC Cologne ……………….. Bundesliga …….. 30 ga —- 9 go
82/83 … 1.FC Cologne ……………….. Bundesliga …….. 24 ga – 12 go
83/84 … 1.FC Cologne ……………….. Bundesliga …….. 34 ga – 20 go
84/85 … 1.FC Cologne ……………….. Bundesliga …….. 32 ga – 26 go
85/86 … 1.FC Cologne ……………….. Bundesliga …….. 24 ga —- 7 go
86/87 … 1.FC Cologne ……………….. Bundesliga …….. 33 ga – 14 go
87/88 … Olympique Marseille ……. Ligue 1 …………… 31 ga – 13 go
88/89 … Olympique Marseille ……. Ligue 1 …………… 22 ga —- 7 go
89/90 … Girondins Bordeaux …….. Ligue 1 …………… 37 ga – 14 go
90/91 … Werder Bremen ……………. Bundesliga …….. 30 ga – 10 go
91/92 … Werder Bremen ……………. Bundesliga …….. 32 ga —- 8 go
92/93 … Werder Bremen ……………. Bundesliga …….. 16 ga —- 0 go

Abedi Pele – An Absolute Pearl

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(Bob Thomas/Getty Images)
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ABEDI “PELE” AYEW is a former European Cup champion who currently has two sons playing for OLYMPIQUE MARSEILLE, the team with whom the retired Ghana international star won the continent’s top professional prize in 1993.

Abedi Pele, so called because of a high skill level evoking memories of the legendary Brazil World Cup star, was already an African Nations Cup winner with Ghana when he broke into the ranks of European professional soccer in the summer of 1986 with French second division side Chamois Niort.

Abedi Pele is easily one of the most successful players to ever come from the continent of Africa; the attacking midfielder, who is the all-time leading scorer with 33 goals from 73 international appearances for the national team of Ghana, won France Football’s African Player of the Year award on three occasions and was named the MVP at the 1992 African Nations Cup by tournament officials.

The great Abedi Pele was also extremely influential in Olympique Marseille’s memorable 1-0 victory over Italian giant AC Milan in the 1993 European Cup Final.

Olympique Marseille 1 – FC Chelsea 0

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France World Cup winger FLAURENT MALOUDA of English club FC Chelsea, who is tied for the London club’s leadership with seven Premier League goals this season, shields the ball from Olympique Marseille’s Burkina Faso international midfielder CHARLES KABORE (12) at the Stade Velodrome in the south of France on the Mediterranean Coast. (Lionel Cironneau/AP)
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UEFA Champions League
Group Stage
12/8/2010

1 – Olympique Marseille (FRA) ——— Brandao 81′
0 – FC Chelsea (ENG)

A goal just ten minutes from time decided a match not without controversial moments as French Ligue 1 side OLYMPIQUE MARSEILLE nipped visiting English Premier League club FC CHELSEA 1-0 in Group F of the UEFA Champions League.

With Chelsea and Marseille having clinched first and second place, respectively, in the group heading into the final game at the group stage not much other than pride was on the line. Embattled Italian manager CARLO ANCELOTTI elected not to rest several key players, such as Czech Republic international goalkeeper PETR CECH, ahead of Chelsea’s London Derby with Tottenham Hotspur this weekend. Meanwhile, Ivory Coast World Cup striker DIDIER DROGBA was in the midst of a homecoming.

The 32-year-old veteran poacher, of course, spent a highly successful 2003-04 campaign with Marseille after signing from En Avant Guingamp in France. Drogba scored 19 goals in 35 league games while adding another eleven in sixteen European contests as Marseille reached the UEFA Cup Final. Following his only season with OM, Drogba was sold to FC Chelsea for the staggering sum of 24.0 million English pounds.

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(Christine Poujoulot/AFP/Getty Images)
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OLYMPIQUE MARSEILLE : Mandanda ; Heinze, N’Diaye (J. Ayew 86′), Diawara, Taiwo ; Kabore, Valbuena (Gonzalez 63′), Cheyrou, Abriel (A. Ayew 63′) ; Brandao, Remy

FC CHELSEA : Cech ; Ferreira, Terry (Bruma 72′), Ivanovic, Bosingwa (van Aanholt 80′) ; McEachran, Essien, Obi, Malouda ; Kalou, Drogba (Sturridge 62′)

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(Philippe Laurenson/Reuters)
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MATCH HIGHLIGHTS

FC Chelsea 2 – Olympique Marseille 0

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France World Cup winger FLORENT MALOUDA of FC Chelsea arrives to challenge Olympique Marseille’s Ghana World Cup midfielder ANDRE AYEW (20), the son of former l’OM great Abedi “Pele” Ayew, for possession of the ball at Stamford Bridge in London. (Ian Kington/AFP/Getty Images)
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UEFA Champions League
Group Stage
9/28/2010

2 – FC Chelsea (ENG) ——————– Terry 7, Anelka pen 28′
0 – Olympique Marseille (FRA)

Two goals within the first half hour enabled English Premier League club FC CHELSEA to coast to a 2-0 defeat of French Ligue 1 outfit OLYMPIQUE MARSEILLE and settle the Cross-Channel Clash of Defending Champions (part one) in Group F of the UEFA Champions League.

Chelsea claimed an early lead after only seven minutes when England World Cup defender JOHN TERRY headed in the corner kick of 19-year-old French forward GAEL KAKUTA, who became the youngest player to ever represent the Blues in the UEFA Champions League last December with an appearance against FC Apoel Nicosia of Cyprus.

Controversial France World Cup forward NICOLAS ANELKA, who was booed repeatedly throughout the match by the visiting l’OM fans from across the Channel, added a second for Chelsea by converting a penalty kick in the 28th minute after Marseille’s Cameroon World Cup defender STEPHANE M’BIA was, perhaps a bit harshly, ruled to have handled the ball in box.

Chelsea came clome to a third goal in the 67th minute but a free kick from about 35 yards out from Brazil international defender ALEX rebounded off the inside of the post with Olympique Marseille goalkeeper STEVE MANDANDA clearly beaten; the Blues’ Ghana international midfielder MICHAEL ESSIEN also sent a shot off the right post roughly eight minutes later.

Olympique Marseille, who are managed by former Chelsea midfielder and France international DIDIER DESCHAMPS, created its share of chances, particularly in the second half, but expereienced great difficulty in finding the target and rarely tested the Blues’ Czech Republic international goalkeeper PETER CECH.

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Disgraced France World Cup striker NICOLAS ANELKA (39) of Chelsea has Olympique Marseille goalkeeper STEVE MANDANDA leaning the wrong way while stroking home a 28th minute penalty at Stamford Bridge. (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images Europe)
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CHELSEA : Cech ; Cole, Terry, Alex, Ivanovic ; Malouda, Zhirkov (Sturridge 73′), Essien, Obi (McEachran 88′) ; Anelka, Kakuta (Ramires 62′)

OLYMPIQUE MARSEILLE : Mandanda ; Heinze, M’Bia, Diawara, Kabore ; Cheyrou (A. Ayew 59′), Cisse, Gonzalez ; Gignac (Valbuena 59′), Brandao, Remy

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Chelsea’s Czech Republic international goalkeeper PETR CECH, who arrived in England from Ligue 1 club Stade Rennes to start the 2004-05 campaign, secures a high ball in the box againt French side Olympique Marseille at Stamford Bridge in London. (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images Europe)