Preview: Marseille vs. Nimes - prediction, team news, lineups

Marseille will be determined to recover from their Trophee des Champions defeat to Paris Saint-Germain when they welcome Ligue 1 basement team Nimes to the Orange Velodrome on Saturday afternoon.

The visitors, meanwhile, are facing an uphill battle to end a three-game losing streak as they lie five points adrift of safety at the midway stage of the season.

Match preview

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It was not to be for Marseille in the Trophee des Champions as Mauricio Pochettino 's PSG scraped a 2-1 victory on Wednesday evening thanks to goals from Mauro Icardi and Neymar.

Dimitri Payet 's 89th-minute strike set up a nervy finale, but the capital outfit held on for the win which handed Pochettino his maiden trophy as a manager, while Marseille are still searching for their first piece of silverware since 2012.

Prior to their loss at the hands of the perennial French champions, Marseille could only muster a point from their top-flight clash with a relegation-threatened Dijon, and Les Olympiens can boast just one win from their last six in all competitions.

Andre Villas-Boas 's men still have the luxury of two games in hand over the five teams above them in the table, but they could only rise as high as fourth if they win them both as third-placed Lille boast a seven-point lead over Les Olympiens as things stand.

The Marseille title dream is not dead and buried just yet, but their recent form is sure to unnerve the Velodrome faithful, and a shock defeat here leaves the door open for Angers to leapfrog Les Olympiens should they defy the odds against PSG later on Saturday.

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Meanwhile, Nimes' survival prospects are looking more bleak by the week, and a 1-0 defeat at home to Lille leaves them rooted to the bottom of the standings heading into gameweek 20.

The prolific Burak Yilmaz struck the only goal of the game as Les Crocodiles succumbed to their 13th defeat of the season - a result which sees them remain on 12 points alongside Lorient.

Having scored just 14 goals and conceded a staggering 40 at the other end of the pitch, Nimes' goal difference is by far the worst in the division, and it will not be long before Arpinon starts fearing for his safety in the Crocodiles hotseat.

Indeed, the 42-year-old has overseen Nimes' worst-ever start to a Ligue 1 campaign, and Nantes (10) are the only team in the league with a longer winless run than Les Crocodiles (8) as the fight to avoid the drop hots up.

Marseille have come up trumps in this fixture four times on the bounce and have only suffered one defeat in their last 10 against Nimes, who have conceded 13 goals in their last four away matches.

Marseille Ligue 1 form: WLDLWD

Marseille form (all competitions): LDLWDL

Nimes Ligue 1 form: LLDLLL

Team News

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Marseille stalwart Steve Mandanda lasted 45 minutes against PSG before being forced off with an apparent thigh problem, so the 35-year-old is set to be replaced by a man three years his senior in Yohann Pele here.

Luis Henrique remains in isolation after contracting coronavirus, but Jordan Amavi could potentially return from his muscular problem in time to displace Yuto Nagatomo at left-back.

Morgan Sanson could be recalled to the hosts' midfield after appearing as a substitute in midweek, while Dario Benedetto - who boasts five goals in this fixture - should return to the forefront of the attack.

Nimes defender Florian Miguel returns from a suspension here, but it would be a surprise to see Birger Meling lose his place at left-back.

The visitors' infirmary is slowly emptying but this game is expected to come too soon for Pablo Martinez and Loick Landre, while Sidy Sarr recovers from a leg injury sustained in a training session.

Wholesale changes are unlikely after a dogged performance against Lille, but Moussa Kone will look to make an immediate return to the attack over Nolan Roux.

Marseille possible starting lineup:

Pele; Sakai, Gonzalez, Caleta-Car, Nagatomo; Kamara, Rongier, Sanson; Thauvin, Benedetto, Payet

Nimes possible starting lineup:

Reynet; Alakouch, Deaux, Briancon, Meling; Cubas, Fomba; Ferhat, Ripart, Eliasson; Kone

We say: Marseille 2-0 Nimes

Nimes can feel proud of their efforts against a high-flying Lille side, but falling to yet another defeat is sure to have dampened the spirits of the Crocodiles faithful even more. Marseille have not covered themselves in glory recently, but they will view this match as the perfect opportunity to get their title charge back on track, so we expect Villas-Boas's men to prevail comfortably on their own turf.

Top betting tip

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