At the end of their first-ever meeting, Atalanta and Marseille could not be split at Stade Velodrome, as La Dea proved unable to retain a lead earned by Gianluca Scamacca’s 11th-minute opener.
Soon after the striker made it six goals in as many games, Chancel Mbemba drew OM level, scoring spectacularly from outside the box to bag his fourth Europa League goal of the season – more than any other defender across UEFA’s three club competitions.
Though substitute Aleksei Miranchuk came close to snatching a precious winner in the final moments, the scoreline ultimately finished all square, setting up a high-stakes contest at the Gewiss Stadium.
Having now extended their unbeaten away run in Europe to 11 matches – including last month’s superb 3-0 win at Anfield – Atalanta return to home turf, where they have won 11 of their last 14 matches.
