Marseille make the trip to the Stade Pierre-Mauroy for a crucial French Ligue 1 showdown against Lille this weekend. With just two points between the sides in second and third respectively, a closely fought encounter is expected, with goals likely to be on the cards.
Lille head into this clash off a routine 2-0 win away at Angers, their third consecutive victory and fourth in the last five matches. This strong run has lifted them into third place as they stay firmly in the race for next season’s UEFA Champions League.
Les Dogues have been sharp in attack, scoring in the last five Ligue 1 matches, with nine goals in that run. However, Bruno Genesio’s men will need to tighten up at the back having failed to keep a clean sheet in three of the last four matches.
Marseille arrive on the heels of a commanding 4-1 win over Brest at the Orange Velodrome, a result that keeps them second in the standings and firmly in the hunt for a Champions League return. However, their away form has been poor lately and Roberto De Zerbi's men have lost their four fixtures on the road.
Beyond their away form, Marseille will take confidence from the results in their last two matches, having also picked up a 5-1 victory over Montpellier prior to the win against Brest. While the goals are flowing up front, their defence needs some work, having conceded in the last six Ligue 1 matches.
How the bookies view it: Bookies backing Lille
The bookies have backed Lille as favourites with BoyleSports offering 5/4 for a home win. A victory for Marseille is priced at 9/5 while a draw has been set at 9/4.
Head to head: Marseille on top
Marseille hold the edge in this fixture with 23 wins from 54 meetings, while Lille have claimed 17 victories, with 14 encounters ending in draws. The reverse league fixture finished 1-1, mirroring their most recent clash in the Coupe de France, which Lille won 5-4 on penalties after another 1-1 draw.
Players to watch: David, Marseille’s Nemesis
Jonathan David is the leading scorer for Lille with 16 goals and will be the one to watch on Sunday. The striker has been on target in the last four matches against Marseille, scoring six goals in that run and is priced at 6/4 by BoyleSports to find the net once again.
Mason Greenwood continues to impress for Marseille and now has 18 Ligue 1 goals this season. He could be worth keeping an eye on to score anytime at 2/1 with BoyleSports.
Probable line-ups
Lille will be without Ethan Mbappe who is still out injured while Bafode Diakite is suspended. However, Chuba Akpom, Benjamin Andre and David are expected to start.
Asides Luiz Felipe who is unavailable due to injury, Marseille have a fully fit squad to pick from with the likes of Luis Henrique, Amine Gouiri and Greenwood are all expected to retain their places in the line-up.
Lille: Chevalier, Meunier, Diakite, Alexsandro, Ismaily, Haraldsson, Andre, Gomes, Fernandez-Pardo, Akpom, David
Marseille: Rulli, Garcia, Kundogbia, Belerdi, Murillo, Hojbjerg, Rongier, Henrique, Rabiot, Greenwood, Gouiri
Anything else catch the eye?
Both teams have scored in six of the last seven meetings in all competitions and a repeat is expected at 6/10 on BoyleSports. Eight of Lille's last 10 matches at home across all competitions have produced over 2.5 goals, which is priced at 3/4 on BoyleSports.
Five of the last seven league meetings between both teams have witnessed goals in each half and Sunday’s clash should follow a similar pattern at 3/4 with BoyleSports.
This French Ligue 1 match between Lille and Marseille will be played on and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best Lille vs Marseille prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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