Marseille vs. Lens: Preview, Prediction & Betting Tips

In the upcoming fixture in France's Ligue 1, Olympique de Marseille will face Racing Club de Lens this Sunday. This match brings together two teams with contrasting seasons but shared aspirations as they both look to secure European competition for next season. As we delve deeper into this matchup, it’s essential to understand the context and current form surrounding both clubs.

Date: 28/04/2024

Kick-off time: 20:00

Location: Stade Vélodrome

Olympique de Marseille, historically one of France's footballing powerhouses, find themselves in a challenging position this season, currently 9th in the league standings with 40 points from 29 games. This season has been particularly tumultuous for Marseille, marked by significant instability including the appointment of their fourth manager of the season, Jean-Louis Gasset. The club has been no stranger to controversy and managerial changes over the years, but the frequency of changes this season has been unusually high even for them.

The constant changes at the managerial helm have inevitably affected the team's performance on the pitch. Their chances of qualifying for the Champions League through their league position are now highly unlikely, as they are significantly behind the leaders. Even securing a spot in the Europa Conference League is becoming a distant possibility, with an eight-point gap separating them from Nice, who are currently in fifth place.

Despite the domestic struggles, Marseille's campaign in European competition has been a bright spot. The team recently advanced to the semi-finals of the Europa League after a thrilling penalty shootout victory over Benfica. This success offers a potential lifeline for Marseille, as winning the Europa League would guarantee them a spot in next season's Champions League, providing a much-needed boost after a difficult league campaign.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been a key figure for Marseille this season, contributing significantly with 24 goals and 10 assists across all competitions. His performance has been a rare consistent highlight in an otherwise erratic season for the club.

In contrast to Marseille's erratic season, Lens have experienced a more stable and solid campaign under the guidance of manager Franck Haise. Although they are currently 6th in the league with 46 points from 30 games, Lens have managed to maintain a level of performance that keeps them in contention for European qualification next season.

Last season, Lens finished an impressive 2nd in Ligue 1, and while this season might not reach those heights, the team remains a strong contender for a place in either the Europa League or potentially the Champions League, though the latter remains a tougher goal.

Lens have enjoyed recent dominance in head-to-head encounters against Marseille, winning the last three meetings. This psychological edge could play a significant role in the upcoming match, as past victories often boost team confidence and influence game strategies.

Florian Sotoca, Lens’ standout forward, has been pivotal this season, with a tally of 6 goals and 6 assists. His contributions on the field have been crucial for Lens, particularly in tight games, and he will undoubtedly be a key player to watch in the match against Marseille.

As Marseille and Lens prepare to face off this Sunday, the match promises to be a compelling encounter with significant implications for European qualification. Both teams have their strengths and challenges, but the game will likely be decided by which club can better execute their game plan under pressure. While Marseille looks to capitalise on their European success and bring some stability to their league campaign, Lens will aim to maintain their solid form and continue their recent dominance over Marseille. The result could go a long way in shaping the remainder of the season for both clubs.

Marseille Team News:

Jonathan Clauss is still missing with a muscle issue while Ismaila Sarr is expected to miss out once again. Bamo Meite and Bilal Nadri have also both played for the last time this season.

Jean-Louis Gasset could make a few changes here with the first leg of their Europa League semi-final with Atalanta on the horizon, with the likes of Joaquín Correa, Luis Henrique and Faris Moumbagna all pushing for a place in the starting XI.


Lens Team News:

Salis Abdul Samed and Jimmy Cabot will miss out once again, while Ruben Aguilar is a major doubt after missing the last few games through injury.

Lens should name a similar team to last week, with a front three of Florian Sotoca, Angelo Fulgini and Elye Wahi leading the charge up top.

Marseille are coming into this game very much out of form having won one, drawn one lost three of their last five games. Their most recent game was a dramatic 2-2 draw away in Toulouse, where an injury-time equaliser from Faris Moumbagna rescued a point for The Phocaeans after Jean Onana had given them a 1-0 lead in the first half.

While Marseille's form is undoubtedly poor, they have faced a very challenging schedule of late and in fairness to them, and their best win of the season (arguably) came just last week, where (once again) Faris Moumbagna’s 79th-minute goal gave them a 1-0 win over Benfica in their Europa League quarter-final, allowing them to eventually take the game to penalties where they ran out 4-2 winners.

Prior to that game, Marseille fell to 2-1 defeat away at Benfica, a 3-1 loss in Lille, a 0-2 defeat to PSG and a 2-0 loss to Rennes.

However, they’re a different beast when playing at home with Jean-Louis Gasset’s men having won four of their last five matches on home soil.

Lens’ form hasn’t been much better than that of Marseille as they enter this game with just one win in their last five games. That win did come in their latest game however, where Florian Sotoca’s 3rd-minute penalty sealed a narrow 1-0 win over Clermont Foot, which despite the closeness of the scoreline probably should have been a bigger lead since they registered over double the shots their opponents did.

Prior to the defeat against Clermont, Lens fell to a 2-1 loss away at Metz which followed a 1-1 draw at home to Le Havre, a 2-1 defeat in Lille and a 1-3 loss to Nice, with top scorer Elye Wahi bagging in each of the latter two results.

Away from home, Lens have been slightly weaker than they have on their own patch having won one, drawn one and lost three of their last five games on the road.

This is a game between two sides with very similar goals in the league who are struggling for form. The big difference is that Marseille have faced a much more daunting level of opposition of late, whereas Lens have largely struggled against sides that are considered peers - and in several cases even inferiors. It should be a tight game and it’s not an easy one to predict, but Marseille will still be riding the high of reaching the Europa League semi-finals so momentum feels more on their side than Lens’. Marseille 2-1 Lens.

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