Lille vs Marseille

Stade Pierre-Mauroy plays host to a tasty-looking Ligue 1 encounter between Lille and Marseille.

Lille’s hopes of securing European football next season hang by a thread after last weekend’s tepid 0-0 draw at Monaco left them at only two wins in six Ligue 1 outings (D2, L2). With three games remaining, ‘Les Dogues’ languish only one point clear of sixth-placed Rennes, meaning there’s no room for error this week. Paulo Fonseca’s men have outplayed Marseille in their last two top-flight H2Hs at home and could beat them three times in a row at Pierre-Mauroy for the first time in the 21st century. However, back-to-back scoring blanks ahead of this match-up put Lille at risk of going three consecutive league games without scoring for the first time since 2017. They’re unlikely to lose, nonetheless, given that they’ve avoided defeat in their last 14 Ligue 1 matches at home (W10, D4).

On the other hand, visiting Marseille came from behind to dismantle relegation-bound Angers 3-1 at home last weekend, making it four wins from five Ligue 1 fixtures (L1). With second-placed Lens still only two points away, ‘Les Olympiens’ could secure automatic Champions League qualification, but they must improve their indifferent three-game form on the road (W1, D1, L1). Interestingly, three of Marseille’s last four away league matches have yielded an identical 2-1 scoreline (W2, D1, L1), highlighting the potential for an action-packed contest. A 2-1 defeat at Lens on their last league travel means Marseille could lose back-to-back away league games for the first time since March 2021. If you’re a fan of omens, one of the two losses they suffered that time came against non-other than Lille.