Marseille winning run under threat from Monaco | OneFootball

Olympique de Marseille are in fine form but Igor Tudor’s side face a major test from AS Monaco as the old rivals clash at the Orange Vélodrome on Saturday in a key game in the race for UEFA Champions League qualification.

Olympique de Marseille – AS Monaco Saturday at 21:00 CET (2000 GMT)

>> LIVE SCORING, STATS AND COMMENTARY

Marseille and Monaco were frequently fighting it out for the title back in the late 1980s and early 1990s. These days both are struggling to keep up with Paris Saint-Germain at the very top of the table although OM are not out of the title running by any means as they sit third, five points behind the capital club. A double-header at home to the Parisians is to come in February, in the Coupe de France last 16 and then in the league, but first OM must focus on maintaining the gap between them and the teams below them.

Igor Tudor’s side ended the last round of games two points behind RC Lens in second and five clear clear of both Monaco in fourth and Stade Rennais FC in fifth. Third place is the minimum objective this season for Marseille, who advanced in the Cup last weekend with a 1-0 victory at home to Rennes. That saw them extend their winning run to eight games in all competitions since their elimination from the Champions League with a defeat by Tottenham Hotspur at the start of November.

OM’s winning run includes six successive Ligue 1 victories, among them a 3-2 success in Monaco on November 13, just before the break for the World Cup. A dramatic game ended with Sead Kolašinac scoring a late winner, although Marseille had earlier lost Amine Harit to a serious knee injury.

OLYMPIQUE DE MARSEILLE - FC LORIENT (3-1) / Highlights (OM - FCL) 2022/2023

“The last match was a bit strange. The stadium was half-empty and there was also the injury to Harit. We won it but it could easily have ended in a draw,” Tudor told reporters this week. “Monaco are a very strong team with top-class players. We have improved since then but they are a team on the same level as us. They are physical, they have quality in every position. It will be a big test for us.”

Open the champagne!

While Marseille have reportedly been attempting to sign the Nigerian striker Terem Moffi from FC Lorient in the January window, Monaco have no pressing need to add to their attacking options judging by their display against AC Ajaccio in their last outing, when Wissam Ben Yedder scored a hat-trick in a 7-1 win, taking him to 16 goals for the season.

Monaco’s only defeat in their last seven games came against OM. But their form since a slow start to the season confirms they are a real threat to their opponents this Saturday in the fight for a podium finish. While the principality club picked up just five points from their first five games, they have taken 32 points from 14 matches since then. That is more than Marseille or Lens in the same period, and just two fewer than PSG.

AS MONACO - AC AJACCIO (7-1) / Highlights (ASM - ACA) 2022/2023

Coach Philippe Clément also believes that Monaco were unlucky not to win that match at the Stade Louis II in November, and the principality side must have revenge on their minds after being pipped to second place and automatic Champions League group stage qualification by Marseille on a dramatic final night of last season.

“It didn’t go our way in the first match. The result wasn’t deserved. Watching it back it could have been very different, but last season we won in Marseille having struggled in the first half. That’s football. We just need to focus on ourselves,” said the Belgian, who is without suspended midfielder Mohamed Camara here but otherwise can boast a clean bill of health among his squad.

“For the moment we have no injuries. That is very important and also very pleasant for a coach,” he said. “That is thanks to the work done by all the players and staff over the last few months. At the start of the season I said to my staff that for every week without any injuries they would get a bottle of champagne from me. I hope to be giving them lots of bottles.”

Probable teams

Marseille: López; Mbemba, Gigot, Balerdi; Clauss, Rongier (c), Veretout, Tavares; Malinovskyi, Guendouzi; Sánchez

Monaco: Nübel; Vanderson, Disasi (c), Maripán, Caio Henrique; Diatta, Fofana, Matazo, Golovin; Ben Seghir, Embolo

>> TRANSFERS: All the winter moves