In the summer of 2005, Marseille won the International Toto Cup, defeated Spanish club La Coruña 5-3 in two rounds in the final, and won the right to participate in the UEFA Cup. However, this affected Marseille's performance in Ligue 1, and its strength and results lagged behind Lyon, Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain, and its chances of winning the championship became increasingly slim. Until the following season, Marseille's outstanding performance at the beginning of the season and forced Lyon in the standings, eventually winning the league runner-up and successfully returned to the European Champions League in the 2007/08 season.

On January 20, 2006, former Marseille player Jean-jacqueseydelie revealed that before the final of the European Champions League in Munich, Marseille players had collectively injected unknown drugs, but only German striker Rudy Worrel refused to take the shot.

Marseille won the French League Cup in the 2009/10 season, becoming the club's first major event in 17 years. In the same season, Marseille defeated Rennes 3-1 in the 36th week, while Auxerre, who ranked second in the league, lost to Lyon, and left Auxerre for 5 points in the remaining league match, winning the Ligue 1 championship again 18 years later.

At 20:45 pm on September 18, 2013, the first day of the 2013/14 European Football Champions League, a focus match between the F team, was held at the home court of Marseille, Verodrom Stadium.

Wenger naturally attaches great importance to this game. When he was deploying troops, he directly sent out all the main lineups except the injured and sick:

The formation is still 3-2-3-2, with the goalkeeper No. 1 - Szesni; the defenders are No. 3 - Sarnia, No. 4 - Mertesacker, No. 6 - Koscheerney; the back midfielder No. 20 - Flamini and No. 18 Zhang Xu; the midfielder No. 16 - Ramsey, No. 10 - Wilshire, No. 11 - Ozil; the forwards are No. 12 - Ji and No. 14 - Walcott.

Fermulen sat on the bench while Rossicky had to be treated at home due to injury.

Such a lineup is already the best card that Wenger can play. If he can't defeat his opponent in this way, it only means that there is a problem with the team's strength.

Arsenal entered the Champions League for the 16th consecutive season, and achieved 7 wins and 2 draws in the first match in the past 9 seasons. The two sides had met in the 2011/12 Champions League group stage. Arsenal won away and drew at home. In history, he played against France with 6 wins and 3 draws and remained unbeaten. Marseille lost three times against England in the last five home games, only defeating Chelsea.

At the beginning of the game, Zhang Xu led the team and launched a tide of attack on the Marseille team.

This seems to be a bit reckless, but in fact, Zhang Xu wants to take the lead and use his strong speed to quickly tear the opponent's formation and seize the initiative in the game.

However, Marseille coincided with his ideas and took advantage of the time of the game to quickly launch an offensive against Arsenal.

So, within twenty minutes before the game, the two sides fought in the middle and had a lot of fun.

In the second minute of the game, Morel of Marseille made a cross from the left, and forward Gignak actually competed for the header with Zhang Xu in the penalty area. The result was naturally obvious. He was squeezed out by Zhang Xu, and the football was easily cleared by Zhang Xu.

One minute later, it was Marseille's attack again. Gignak passed the ball, and Balbuena kept volleying the ball from 25 yards on the left. The football made a very beautiful arc, but the shot was easily taken off by Szesney because the angle was too straight.

Immediately afterwards, Zhang Xu's counterattack came.

In the fifth minute of the game, after Zhang Xu passed the center line, he passed the ball directly to the left side of the penalty area. Ozil quickly made a cross from the bottom, but Walcott's header was blocked by Marseille defender Van Nie.

In the 6th minute of the game, it was Zhang Xu again. He suddenly made a long pass in the middle and backcourt and accurately found Walcott. Walcott's shot from 10 yards to the right of the penalty area was confiscated by Marseille goalkeeper Mandanda.

In the 19th minute of the game, Marseille launched another offensive, with midfielder Morel passing the ball, but Balbuena faced Zhang Xu's press in front of the penalty area, and rushed to the crossbar.

After some offense and defense transformation, Zhang Xu gradually figured out the offensive routines of the Marseille team, began to adjust the tactics and offensive focus in a planned manner, and took the initiative of the game little by little in his hands.

In the 27th minute of the game, after Imbra of Marseille's team got the ball from 25 yards, he was about to shoot when Zhang Xu, who suddenly inserted it, stabbed the ball away.

Then, the football was taken by Will Sher, and he pushed the football with his right foot and passed it to Ramsey.

Ramsey has performed particularly actively in recent games and has a very tacit cooperation with Zhang Xu. He is now a very threatening killer wing assaulter on the right side of Arsenal.

Zhang Xu saw that Marseille's left defense was a bit unsteady enough, so he focused on letting Ramsey launch a fierce attack on Marseille's left.

Now after receiving the football, Ramsey immediately started quickly according to Zhang Xu's request and ran all the way. Soon, he was defensively intercepted by the left back of the Marseille team.

He did not choose to pass the ball, but used his better foot skills to try to break through. The left back of the Marseille team was obviously a little nervous, and it was a little dazzled to see Ramsey's feet swiping over the football surface to change it.

Ramsey suddenly cut left, then quickly pulled it back and inserted forward to the right, and then directly knocked the opponent to the ground.

Ramsey made a breakthrough!

He quickly cut in with the football. When the Marseille saw that the situation was not good, he could only arrange for a central defender to come over.

Zhang Xu wanted this moment, and he immediately waved to Ramsey.

Ramsey understood it and directly passed it!

Zhang Xu jumped high in the middle. After a beautiful **** stopped the ball, he swung his right leg directly and shot an angry shot at the edge of the penalty area without waiting for the ball to land!

With a "bang!", the football rolled up a strong wind and headed straight to the upper right corner of the goal!

The football flew too fast. The goalkeeper of the Marseille team had only time to turn his head and look at it, and then he saw that the football had already flown into the net!

One to zero! Arsenal leads!

After leading with one goal, the Marseille team was immediately stimulated and they began to attack frantically. At this time, Zhang Xu did not fight the Marseille team to death, but instead launched a defensive counterattack without any haste.

In this way, the two teams' offense and defense were in a deadlock.

This situation continued until about ten minutes after the opening of the second half.

Finally, when Zhang Xu saw that the Marseille offensive weakened, he made a quick decision and launched a counterattack quickly, which completely disrupted the Marseille formation.

In the 68th minute of the game, Zhang Xu, Ozil and Wilsher played a series of wonderful cooperation in the midfield and frontcourt. In the end, Ozil made a straight pass and directly assisted Walcott to score!

2-0! Arsenal secured the victory!
Chapter completed!