Marseillevs.Lens

The hosts look set to return to the Champions League after a year away, while Lens could miss out on European qualification altogether after a dismal recent run.

Match preview

In De Zerbi's first season at the helm, Marseille are set to finish second to runaway leaders Paris Saint-Germain, in what would be a hugely impressive outcome.

The gap to the leaders is an unassailable 13 points now, but returning to the Champions League for just the third time in over a decade will be vitally important if OM are to kick on.

Home form looked like it was going to scupper those plans earlier in the campaign, but results at the Velodrome have picked up rapidly, with three straight wins here, after taking just 13 points from their first nine home matches of the campaign.

That leaves Marseille three points ahead of Nice below them, and more importantly, six above Monaco, in the UCL playoff spot, and eight ahead of Lille in fifth.

Bouncing back from a 3-0 defeat at Auxerre was crucial last weekend, and OM managed to do so, beating Nantes 2-0, but they left it late, as Amine Gouiri and Mason Greenwood's goals both came after the 70th minute.

The home faithful will be confident of another win here given their form, Lens' recent results, and the fact OM have now won back-to-back games against the Blood and Gold.

Marseille had lost three in a row in this fixture before beating them at the Velodrome last season, and after a 3-1 win in the reverse fixture, the home side now have the chance to do the double over Lens for the first time in 10 years.

A run of form that has seen Lens lose four in a row means that looks highly likely too, with manager Will Still enduring the worst losing sequence of his managerial career to date.

Lens as a club had not lost four in a row in almost exactly a decade, but the unwanted feat was set last weekend when they were stunned at home by relegation-favourites Le Havre.

Still's men came out on the wrong side of a seven-goal thriller, despite leading 2-0 early on, and 3-2 after the hour, inexplicably falling to defeat thanks to a stoppage-time penalty.

That has seen Lens drop to ninth, and they are only in the top half on goal difference, with their dreams of qualifying for Europe for a third season in succession set to be dashed.

Only the top six are guaranteed European football at present, and Lens find themselves six points adrift, and after losing in Conference League qualifying this season, the Blood and Gold faithful will be desperate to return, especially after their dramatic Champions League exploits last season.

Marseille Ligue 1 form:

L

W

W

W

L

W

Lens Ligue 1 form:

W

W

L

L

L

L

Team News

Faris Moumbagna remains the only long-term injury absentee for Marseille, but he is set to be joined on the sidelines by Michael Murillo, who was forced off with a hamstring injury inside 25 minutes last week.

Derek Cornelius has served one suspension after being sent off against Auxerre, but he also had a yellow card ban to serve, and he will remain out here, with Ulisses Garcia also a doubt at the back with injury.

Gouiri has been in scintillating form since moving from Rennes, scoring five goals and registering three assists in five matches, while attacking partner Greenwood is on 15 for the season in Ligue 1, bettered only by Ousmane Dembele.

M'Bala Nzola remains suspended for Lens after his straight red card in the defeat against Nantes, while Adrien Thomasson, Facundo Medina and Angelo Fulgini will all join the Angolan in being banned after accumulating the limit of yellow cards.

Martin Satriano and Remy Labeau Lascary are out with serious knee injuries, while young striker Jeremy Agbonifo is doubtful, and Jhoanner Chavez is set to miss this one due to an ankle injury.

Marseille possible starting lineup:

Rulli; Lirola, Balerdi, Kondogbia; Luis Henrique, Bennacer, Hojbjerg, Rabiot, Merlin; Gouiri, Greenwood

Lens possible starting lineup:

Ryan; Aguilar, Gradit, Sarr, Machado; Diouf, El Aynaoui, Zaroury; Sotoca, Said, Ojediran

We say: Marseille 3-0 Lens

Marseille have done well to correct their worrying home form that was threatening to derail their season around the midway point, and they will now expect to push on and claim a top-three finish.

Written by

Andrew Delaney

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