Marseille vs Atlético Madrid finished 1-1 in a club friendly on 14/08/26, with Mendoza coming off the bench to cancel out Paixao’s first-half opener. It was the last eleven of Atlético’s preseason, and the match gave both sides another useful look at final preparations.
Paixao put Olympique de Marsella ahead in the 22nd minute, before Mendoza struck four minutes after coming on and levelled the game in the 39th minute. That sequence defined the contest, with Atlético responding quickly enough to avoid ending the first half behind.
Paixao opens it, Mendoza answers
The first half belonged to the rhythm of two moments rather than sustained dominance. Paixao’s goal gave Marsella the lead at 1-0, but Atlético’s response through Mendoza showed the kind of sharp reaction managers want from a preseason squad trying to settle into competitive habits.
The equaliser also underlined the value of contributions from different areas of the squad. Mendoza did not need long after his introduction to make the decisive impact, and that is exactly the kind of positive sign that can matter when a team is nearing the end of its summer schedule.
Preseason minutes and final checks
Several players were given time on the pitch as Atlético worked through one of their last preseason lineups. Kang-In and Grimaldo were involved in the first 30 minutes, while the second half began with Atlético moving the ball to restart the game after the break.
For both Olympique de Marsella and Atlético de Madrid, the match was less about headlines and more about timing, roles and readiness. A 1-1 draw will not define the summer, but it did offer a clean snapshot of where each side stood before the real business begins.
