Bielsa Urges Return To Winning Ways

13 April 2015 11:44

Marseille boss Marcelo Bielsa has called on his players to ensure they overcome their mini-wobble and grab a Champions League spot.

L'OM's 1-0 loss at Bordeaux on Sunday was the club's second successive defeat and sees them slip to fourth in Ligue 1.

Bielsa's side saw their title hopes take a major blow during a thrilling Classique defeat to Paris St Germain last weekend and this latest reverse leaves them with a fight just to claim a top-three finish.

But the former Athletic Bilbao coach is in no doubt his team do not deserve to miss out on the "podium" and Champions League football.

He told L'Equipe: "We are in an uncomfortable situation. We hope our final position in the standings will be what we deserve.

"Obviously we did not expect this slump. I don't think we deserve to have left the podium but I think we will change that by the end of the season."

Bordeaux secured the points through Cedric Yambere's strike on the hour mark, but they had to survive some tricky moments.

Marseille's Romain Alessandrini struck a post before he went down in the area under a Nicolas Pallois challenge only to see referee Bartolomeu Varela wave away appeals for a penalty.

Bielsa would not criticise the officials after the game, but Alessandrini was adamant he should have had a penalty.

He said: "Immediately after the referee told me I dived. At half-time I told him we could watch the replay together if he wanted."

Bordeaux boss Willy Sagnol, who felt his side got lucky with the penalty decision, is not getting carried away after a third straight home win took them within four points of third-placed Monaco.

"I have not seen the replay but I think it was a penalty on Alessandrini," said the former Bayern Munich defender.

He added: "Am I thinking of the Champions League? No. I'm thinking of the next match in Lille. It becomes more realistic after today but we won't relax."

Source: PA-WIRE