Mason Greenwood scored twice for Marseille in the Champions League on Tuesday night in a man-of-the-match display from the former Manchester United man
Mason Greenwood celebrates scoring for Marseille
Mason Greenwood scored twice in an important win for Marseille(Image: Photonews, Photonews via Getty Images)
Former Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood was the star of the show for Marseille in their thrilling 3-2 victory over Belgian outfit Union Saint-Gilloise on Tuesday night. The 24-year-old's two goals in the Champions League took his season tally to 13 across all competitions.
His vital contributions in Belgium secured Marseille's third win in six Champions League outings, putting Roberto De Zerbi's squad 16th in the table before Wednesday's matches. After another standout performance from Greenwood, who has scored 35 times in 56 games for the French club, the former Brighton manager heaped praise on the attacker. However, he believes the striker can improve his game.
"Yes, I think he's one of the best strikers in Europe," the Marseille manager told RMC Sport. "But even he, when we're leading 3-1, needs to learn to manage the ball, not to force things and not to lose possession."
De Zerbi continued: "He's a great player, but in those moments, I think he also needs to make the effort to hold onto the ball a little longer, to give us a bit more breathing room, to be more consistent defensively, at least by holding his position." Here's what the French press made of Greenwood's display.
L'Equipe
French outlet L'Equipe hailed Greenwood as part of a "formidable" Marseille attacking unit. Their match report noted the former United talent was "imperious when facing the opposing goalkeeper".
Playing alongside Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Timothy Weah in attack, it was Greenwood who stole the headlines as Marseille took a "significant step" towards progressing to the next round. Summarising Greenwood's performance, the match report described him as "dynamic, mobile, and decisive".
Yet the French outfit did struggle at times during the match. De Zerbi's men fell behind early and endured a tense finale after Union SG pulled it back to 3-2 with 20 minutes left on the clock.
La Croix
La Croix's match report emphasised the important nature of Marseille's triumph. Having won two of their three European fixtures at home, the 3-2 result in Belgium marked their first away victory.
This vital breakthrough was reportedly "led by the talent of Mason Grenwood". However, the publication acknowledged that De Zerbi's squad had benefited from a "fragile" Union SG backline that "crumbled quite quickly".
Mason Greenwood of Marseille
Marseille have won three of their six Champions League games
Assessing Marseille's performance, the match report concluded: "Still inconsistent, still fragile, still difficult to read, De Zerbi's team is moving forward, at least."
La Provence
La Provence handed Greenwood an eight out of 10 in their player ratings - the top mark among all Marseille players. The publication highlighted the backheel that contributed to his team's equaliser from Paixao.
Greenwood's first goal, which put Marseille ahead, was characterised as "a fine run and a powerful finish". However, the forward received his greatest acclaim in the publication's match report.
The report stated that Greenwood was "seen as a messiah by OM fans" following his brace. His skill on the ball was described as leaving the Union SG "defence dancing".
Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.