Match preview
Two teams desperate to finish in the top three in Ligue 1 are set to battle it out at the Vélodrome d’Orange on Saturday night, when Marseille take on Lens.
The home team lost 0-1 to Paris Saint-Germain in Le Classique last weekend, while Franck Haise’s side won by the same score against Montpellier HSC.
This loss to the current champions represents Marseille’s second defeat in Ligue 1 recovery from a shock 2-1 home loss to Ajaccio earlier this month, and this sticky patch has seen Marseille fall out of the Champions League in fourth place on the table.
Scoring in their six home games in the 2022-23 Ligue 1 season will help Marseille prepare well for a meeting with an opponent on the podium, but failing to keep a clean sheet in three home games shows fragility which Lens won’t need a second invitation to.
If the agonising derby loss to Lille made the atmosphere around Stade Bollaert-Delelis sour, the news that coach Franck Haise had signed a contract extension until 2027 certainly raised spirits of the Sang et Or faithful who saw their team return victorious against Montpellier.
Lens and the low-scoring business have gone hand in hand this season, as last week’s match marked the fourth of five games that Les Sang et Or entered with a 1-0 draw – an exception in the series. This match was a stalemate at Nantes.
Although they’ve barely shined in the league in terms of offensive skill lately, Lens’ uncomfortable defensive action has propelled them to third place in the table – one point above Marseille and two behind Lorient’s surprise retreat – but their away form is no excuse for their steady progress.
Indeed, Haise’s side have not won in three games on the road since beating Monaco 4-1 at Stade Louis II in August, but Lens edged Marseille 3-2 at the Orange Vélodrome last season before The Olympians retaliated with a 2-0 victory in January.
Marseille vs Lens H2H
Lens  | 0 – 2 |  Marseille |
Marseille  | 2 – 3 |  Lens |
Lens  | 2 – 2 |  Marseille |
Marseille  | 0 – 1 |  Lens |
Lens  | 0 – 4 |  Marseille |
Marseille vs Lens form guide
Marseille’s last 5 games- LWLWW
PSG  | 1 – 0 |  Marseille |
Sporting  | 0 – 2 |  Marseille |
Marseille  | 1 – 2 |  AC Ajaccio |
Marseille  | 4 – 1 |  Sporting |
Angers  | 0 – 3 |  Marseille |
Lens’s last 5 games – WLWDW
 Lens | 1 – 0 |  Montpellier |
 Lille | 1 – 0 |  Lens |
 Lens | 1 – 0 |  Lyon |
 Nantes | 0 – 0 |  Lens |
 Lens | 1 – 0 |  Troyes |
Key facts
- In the previous 11 meetings, Olympique de Marseille won 5 matches while Lens won 4 matches, the other 2 ended with a draw.
- Olympique de Marseille will hopefully score with confidence today and will maintain a scoring record in every home game this season.
- In the last 5 matches of Olympique de Marseille, 3 of these ended with goals scored by both teams.
- This season, 6 matches (55% of the total) involving Olympique de Marseille have all seen BTTS appearances.
Marseille vs Lens prediction
Likely outcomes in this fixture are as follows:
- LENS TO WIN @ 3.66
- OVER 1.5 GOALS @ 1.31
*DISCLAIMER: Odds are subject to change
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