MANCHESTER CITY fans will be hoping Pep Guardiola's French lessons will ensure his side don't suffer another Champions League shock against Ligue 1 opposition in Marseille.
It was Lyon who ended City's quest for Euro glory in last season's quarter-final as Moussa Dembele came off the bench to grab a double in a 3-1 win.
And that was the second time they had stunned Guardiola's side in the Champions League after a 2-1 Etihad triumph in the 2018/19 group stage.
Conquering Europe remains the holy grail for City and this campaign has started well enough, defeating Porto 3-1 at the Etihad (below).
But Guardiola's squad is down to the bare bones due to injury, with Sergio Aguero becoming the latest victim in the weekend win over West Ham, and they remain vulnerable at the back.
The big question is if a Marseille side in poor form will be able to take advantage of those frailties without the help of a hostile crowd at the Velodrome.
Andre Villas-Boas' men have won just four of their first eight domestic games and lost 1-0 at Olympiakos in their Champions League opener so their start to the season has been even worse than City's.
How the bookies view it
Marseille are as big as 8/1 with Bet365, which might attract a few punters given City's troubles, while the draw pays 23/5 at Unibet. City's best price is 3/8 at VBet.
Team news
First-choice City defenders Aymeric Laporte and Nathan Ake both missed the draw with West Ham but the Basque stopper could return here while Kevin De Bruyne made his comeback off the bench at the weekend.
Aguero went off against the Hammers with a hamstring issue so Guardiola could be without a centre forward as Gabriel Jesus remains out injured along with full-back Benjamin Mendy and utility man Fernandinho.
Marseille are boosted by the return of playmaker Dmitri Payet who missed the Ligue 1 win over Lorient through a domestic suspension.
Players to watch
With Aguero joining Gabriel Jesus on the sidelines, Raheem Sterling will probably play as a false nine again and he's a best 5/4 with SportNation for anytime scorer. For more value, winger Riyad Mahrez is 24/13 with the same firm.
Former West Ham star Payet (below) will be a threat from set-pieces so it could pay to back him for a goal at 9/2 with Paddy Power. He's also a whopping 18/1 with Skybet to net from outside the area which is a good long-odds option.
Anything else catch the eye?
Our man Slips Tips cashed in by doubling City goals with Porto bookings on Matchday One but Marseille's record so far this season doesn't suggest a thiller. Seven of their nine games have seen under 2.5 goals and a repeat here pays 13/8 at 888Sport.
Bookings might be a better shout as Marseille have collected 23 yellows and three reds this term, although nine of them came in that astonishing scrap with PSG back in September. But the bookies have yet to price up that market properly, with card prices only available for a few City players at Unibet.
City have made a habit of scoring early and the draw with West Ham is the only game this season where they've failed to score in the first half. Backing them for over 0.5 goals in the first half here pays just 4/9 at Betway while over 1.5 goals is 2/1 with the same firm.
This UEFA Champions League match between Marseille and Manchester City will be played on Oct 27, 2020 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Marseille vs Manchester City prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
