Marcelo Bielsa insists that his Marseille team will continue to battle as they try to claim third place in Ligue 1.

OM kept their hopes of a Champions League place alive with a 2-0 victory over struggling Metz on Friday night.

Despite a tough examination against the relegation-threatened side, the Chilean coach reckons that Marseille can work hard enough to achieve their Champions League goal.

He told reporters: "As long as, mathematically, we have a chance, we'll continue to hope for a third-placed finish.

"I thank the players and the fans for their support. It was a complicated match. We had to fight hard and fight for every ball, but in the end I think the result was the right one because we made the collective effort to get it.

"We were surprised by Metz at the beginning of the match, but we turned in an excellent defensive performance, even though we did concede some chances. In the second half we could have scored even more goals. It was crucial that we got the win."

Third-placed AS Monaco play struggling Toulouse on Sunday evening, holding a two-point advantage over Marseille.