Marseille trounces Zurich 6-1 in Champions League

Marseille trounces Zurich 6-1 in Champions League

Published Nov. 4, 2009 1:37 a.m. ET

Marseille trounced FC Zurich 6-1 on Tuesday to keep alive its chances of qualifying for the knockout round of the Champions League.


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Marseille has six points from four games in Group C but is a point behind AC Milan and Real Madrid. Zurich is last with three points.

"Of course I still believe in our chances," Marseille president Jean-Claude Dassier said. "This won't be an easy task and we'll have to win our two next games."

Marseille, which won the inaugural Champions League in 1993, travels to Milan next before hosting Madrid in its last group match.

Midfielder Silvan Aegerter's own-goal in the third minute put the home side ahead before Fabrice Abriel doubled the lead in the 11th minute with a free kick.

Zurich striker Alexandre Alphonse narrowed the gap in the 31st, but Marseille captain Mamadou Niang restored a two-goal lead in the 51st.

Vitorino Hilton, Benoit Cheyrou and Brazilian striker Brandao completed the rout in the last 10 minutes.

"We started this match very well," Marseille coach Didier Deschamps said. "It's not common to score six goals in a Champions League game. The important thing was to let go and I think the players played more freely tonight."

With playmaker Lucho Gonzalez sidelined with a hand injury, Deschamps started with Abriel in the midfield while Souleymane Diawara returned from suspension in defense.

Abriel immediately rewarded his coach's confidence with a free kick from the left that was deflected into his own goal by Aegerter.

Zurich, which won 1-0 at AC Milan in September, was handed a further blow when striker Johann Vonlanthen was forced to leave the field five minutes later following a challenge by Argentina defender Gabriel Heinze.

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