Strasbourg vs Marseille

Strasbourg and Marseille are set to face each other at the Stade de la Meinau in a must-win Ligue 1 clash for both sides.

Although an underwhelming five-game winless Ligue 1 run (D2, L3) before left Strasbourg just one point clear of the bottom three ahead of the international break, their season could still go either way, with seventh-placed Le Havre only three points away. Manager Patrick Vieira hasn’t provided the spark expected of him, as evidenced by Le Racing’s mediocre 11-game league start (W3, D3, L5) and an indifferent home record (W2, D2, L2). But since none of those two home wins have come in the last four matches (D2, L2), Strasbourg fans would be forgiven for placing low expectations ahead of their side. Marseille’s upcoming visit won’t offer a saving grace as the hosts are winless in their last seven Ligue 1 H2Hs on home turf (D4, L3), a run stretching back to 2005.

In the meantime, Marseille can draw confidence from their superb H2H form as they bid to atone for a late 1-0 defeat at Lens before the international break, which contributed to their sub-par Ligue 1 start (W3, D4, L4). Winless in their last three league outings (D1, L2), ‘Les Olympiens’ must regroup quickly to avoid losing further ground on the top three as they already trail third-placed Monaco by a staggering 11 points. However, that could prove easier said than done, with Gennaro Gattuso’s side still seeking their first top-flight win on the road this term, having gone from back-to-back away draws to four straight losses, three of which came ‘to nil.’