Sensational 94th-Minute Free Kick Sends Underdog Marseille into European Final
A curling 30-yard set piece stuns reigning champions Madrid in a deafening cauldron at the Stade Vélodrome.
Executive Briefing
In an unforgettable clash of determination against continental football royalty, a stoppage-time masterstroke catapulted the southern French side into their first European final in two decades.
MARSEILLE — Football romanticism was restored to its purest glory on Sunday night when an audacious 94th-minute free kick from midfielder Mateo Guéye propelled Olympique de Marseille into the European Champions final with a pulse-pounding 3-2 aggregate victory over Madrid.
With extra time looming and legs weary across the pitch, Guéye stood over a dead ball thirty yards out on the left channel. With flawless technique, his right-footed curling strike dipped over the defensive wall and kissed the inside of the top-right upright before rattling the net.
"I saw the goalkeeper take a half-step toward his near post and I knew the corner was open," said Guéye, as fireworks illuminated the Old Port of Marseille into the early hours of Monday morning. "This victory belongs to every kid in these streets."
The victory marks the first time in twenty-two years that the French club has reached the pinnacle of European football, setting up a blockbuster showdown against English champions Manchester next month.
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