Marseillevs.Nantes

The hosts are currently second in the table, 13 points behind runaway leaders Paris Saint-Germain, and they cannot afford any more slip-ups if they are going to catch the defending champions.

Match preview

Roberto De Zerbi's side fell further behind the league leaders in the standings last weekend, as Marseille's 3-0 defeat away to Auxerre was followed by PSG winning 3-2 away to Lyon the next day.

Those results realistically leave the hosts fighting to keep hold of their automatic qualification position for the Champions League next season, with Nice's 2-0 win over Montpellier narrowing the gap between second and third place to just three points.

The defeat away at Auxerre was uncharacteristic of De Zerbi's side, as their struggles this season have been mostly in front of their own fans.

Marseille have won eight more points on their travels during this campaign, having only played one more fixture away from home, giving them the second-best away record in the division.

However, their home form is one of the main reasons why the club is not challenging closer with PSG at the top, and they instead find themselves involved in the fight for European football next season.

Their form at the Stade Velodrome has improved in recent weeks, with the club currently on a six-match unbeaten streak at home in the league, but they have dropped points in six of their 11 home matches so far - a stark contrast to PSG, who are unbeaten in their home matches so far this year.

Despite this, their current performance is a significant improvement on last season's disappointing eighth-place finish in a season that saw them go through four different head coaches.

Under De Zerbi, the Italian's attacking style has been rewarded, as Marseille are the league's second-highest scoring side, with 50 goals in 23 matches.

A major contributor to the team's high goal tally is Mason Greenwood, who has settled in well at the club since arriving from Manchester United last summer.

He is the second-highest scorer in Ligue 1 this season, with 14 goals in 23 matches, with only PSG's Ousmane Dembele scoring more so far this campaign.

Both Greenwood and Marseille will look to bounce back from Sunday's disappointment against Auxerre when they come up against a Nantes side that is currently only five points clear of the relegation zone.

The visitors have been inconsistent throughout the campaign, and although their win against Lens at the weekend was just their fifth league win, the nine draws they have picked up throughout the season have proven valuable.

Nantes have only lost three of their last 11 matches in the league, but they have also only recorded three wins during this time, highlighting a need to turn more of their draws into victories if they want to avoid falling deeper into the relegation battle.

This weekend, they will be looking to claim only their third away win in the league this season - and having suffered a humiliating 7-1 defeat away to Monaco in their last away outing, they will be looking for a significantly better performance this time around.

That defeat at Monaco did little to improve the statistics for the fourth-leakiest defence in Ligue 1, as Antoine Kombouare's side have conceded 40 times in 23 matches this season.

Despite having a season that has had plenty of ups and downs, as well as a lot of speculation surrounding his future, Kombouare remains in the job for now, and despite the heavy defeat at Monaco earlier this month, his side have shown improvement overall in recent weeks.

With their only three defeats in the last 11 matches coming against sides that have competed in the Champions League this season, this weekend will be a good test of Marseille's credentials as they look to qualify for Europe's premier club competition again next season.

The hosts have already beaten their opponents once this season, as goals from Neal Maupay and Greenwood helped De Zerbi's team to a 2-1 away win at Nantes back in November.

Marseille Ligue 1 form:

D

L

W

W

W

L

Nantes Ligue 1 form:

D

D

W

L

L

W

Team News

Marseille have a number of injury doubts for this fixture, with Amine Harit a doubt with a calf problem, while other potential absentees for the hosts include Faris Moumbagna and Ruben Blanco, who both are recovering from knee injuries.

The hosts will also be without Derek Cornelius, who was sent off in last weekend's defeat to Auxerre, but they will be boosted by the return of captain Leonardo Balerdi from suspension, as the defender missed the game against Christophe Pelissier's side.

Meanwhile, January signing Francis Coquelin could be involved for the visitors, having made his debut for the club last weekend, when the former Arsenal man registered an assist.

Elsewhere, Nathan Zeze is a long-term absentee with an ankle injury, while Tino Kadewere remains doubtful due to a muscle issue.

In a further blow for Nantes, they will be missing Nicolas Cozza due to suspension, but Pedro Chirivella is available for selection again following his own recent suspension.

Marseille possible starting lineup:

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

Nantes possible starting lineup:

Lopes; Amian, Sow, Castelletto, Pallois; Lepenant, Chirivella, Coquelin; Abline, Mohamed, Simon

We say: Marseille 2-0 Nantes

Nantes are inconsistent, and their recent hammering at Monaco shows what can happen when it does go wrong for them.

Written by

Tom Humphrey

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