Barthez has faith in 'strong' OM

For a less experienced goalkeeper, the mistake that gave Bolton Wanderers FC a precious away goal in their UEFA Cup tie at the Stade Vélodrome last month might have marked the start of a harrowing evening. But in the case of Olympique de Marseille's evergreen custodian Fabien Barthez, it merely fuelled his determination.

'A horrible start'
The home team were in a precarious position after their FIFA World Cup-winning captain spilled Jay-Jay Okocha's innocuous-looking cross at the feet of Stylianos Giannakopoulos, but Barthez never had any doubt they would succeed in turning the tie around. "It was a horrible start but I wasn't worried because this Marseille side has great character," he told uefa.com. "These things happen in football, especially to goalkeepers. But throughout the evening, I had this feeling deep down that Marseille would qualify no matter what."

Barthez relief
Franck Ribéry's equaliser on the stroke of half-time would have reinforced that belief, while an own goal from Bolton defender Tal Ben Haim ultimately saw Marseille through to the last 16, where they host FC Zenit St. Petersburg in tonight's first leg. "The reaction of my team-mates was fantastic and I owe them a lot," Barthez said. "After my mistake, they all looked at me and reassured me. Sharing moments like that with your team-mates is what makes football so beautiful."

'A bit like rugby'
Barthez's inner calm was evident for the remainder of the game and he also played a positive role, commanding his penalty area authoritatively and denying Bolton with a series of fine saves. His incisive punched clearance in added time - which led to the 34-year-old being flattened by his opposite number Jussi Jääskeläinen - typified a courageous display. "I'm used to English clubs' physical style from my time with Manchester United [FC]," Barthez said. "In England it's a bit like rugby. Everybody gives and takes a few blows, then afterwards you have a drink together and laugh about it."

Inspirational figure
Like Marseille and their loyal supporters, Barthez relishes European nights. He helped the Mediterranean side win the UEFA Champions League in his first season at OM in 1992/93, and after returning from England in 2003, proved an inspirational figure in their run to the 2003/04 UEFA Cup final.

'Extraordinary atmosphere'
Bolton became Marseille's fifth English scalp at the Vélodrome, and Barthez is hoping his team make the most of their home advantage against the Russian outfit. "The atmosphere here for European games is extraordinary," he enthused. "Honestly, you have to be here to understand what it's like. Our supporters are among the best around and they deserve to have a successful side. We were thrilled to have produced such a good display in front of our fans against Bolton, and hopefully the European adventure will continue."

Inconsistent performances
Marseille's exhilarating European form is in contrast to their inconsistent domestic performances. Having started in the UEFA Intertoto Cup, they have already upset the likes of S.S. Lazio, RC Deportivo La Coruña and PFC CSKA Moskva this term, yet currently sit a slightly disappointing fifth in Ligue 1. "It's difficult to understand why we're not doing better," said Barthez, who like the entire Marseille first team, was rested for Sunday's goalless draw at Paris Saint-Germain FC.

'Lacking experience'
"We have a really exciting group of players but they're very young," he added. "Perhaps we're just lacking that bit of experience you need in order to be consistent. We discuss it among ourselves but there's no magic formula."