AS Monaco travel to the Stade Velodome knowing that victory over Marseille would guarantee their entry into the Champions League ahead of Sunday's hosts.
With five points separating both sides and only nine left on offer, Monaco can return to the competition which saw them enhance their reputation this season.
Marseille
© Getty Images
Simply put, victory is the only option for Marseille if they want Champions League football next season - yet even winning may not be enough to see them secure a top-three finish.
As it stands, five points separate the pair and, with three games left in total, Marcelo Bielsa's charges would still be relying on Monaco slipping up in one of the remaining two matches after Sunday.
The hosts appear to be paying the penalty for a disastrous April that has undoubtedly contributed to their top-three woes.
Marseille beat Lens 4-0 before the international break to establish a four-point cushion in the Champions League spots, but a four-match losing streak followed last month to leave them playing catch-up.
Bielsa's troops stopped the rot with a 2-0 win at Metz last weekend, with Andre-Pierre Gignac scoring twice to reach the 20-goal barrier in Ligue 1, but Monaco will be keen to make their mini resurgence a case of too little too late.
Recent form: WLLLLW
Monaco
© Getty Images
By virtue of the fact that Monaco have won both matches since being eliminated from the Champions League, scoring seven goals along the way, it could be argued that their adventure into the quarter-finals has provided them with a taste for the big time and they look determined to be involved again next term.
Their 1-0 aggregate defeat to Juventus looks to have given them the appetite for more of the same, having emerged with plenty of credit in a European odyssey that saw them eliminate Arsenal in the round of 16, after topping Group C ahead of Bayer Leverkusen, Zenit St Petersburg and Benfica.
Leonardo Jardim's side beat Lens 3-0 on their return to domestic duties late last month, before thumping Toulouse 4-1 at Stade Louis II last week to clasp one hand on another top-three finish.
Marseille's capitulation during April undoubtedly played a role in helping Monaco to the brink of Champions League qualification, but Jardim and co deserve credit for capitalising on their rivals' woes and dishing out the ultimate punishment.
While they still have a bit of work to do, a point should be enough to see them over the finish line but, having scored 10 times in their last four, Monaco will make the 100-mile trip intent on leaving with all three.
Recent form: DDWDWW
Recent form (all competitions): WLDDWW
Team News
© Getty Images
Abdelaziz Barrada remains an injury doubt for Marseille with a groin strain, with the 25-year-old likely to miss the run-in having been sidelined since December.
Other than that, Bielsa has no major injury concerns and Gignac is likely to lead the forward line once more.
In contrast, Jardim has a host of doubts in his ranks, with Dimitar Berbatov still missing with a back problem.
Jeremy Toulalan and Lacina Traore are expected to miss out through injury, while Nabil Dirar is out with suspension following his red card against Toulouse.
Marseille possible starting lineup:
Mandana; N'Koulou, Fanni, Romao, Imbula; Mendy, Payet, Lemina, Ayew, Gignac, Alessandrini
Marseille possible starting lineup:
Subasic; Raggi, Kurzawa, Carvalho, Abdennour; Fabinho, Moutinho, Kondogbia; Bernardo Silva, Carrasco, Martial
Head To Head
The form favours Monaco in this meeting, with Les Rouge et Blanc winning three of the last four meetings between the sides - the other being a 0-0 draw in the 2010-11 season.
It has been over five years since Marseille won a Ligue 1 meeting, winning 2-1 in the principality in February, 2010, while their last league victory at home came back in 2007. Overall, Monaco have won 16 and drawn 12 of the last 38 encounters between the sides.
We say: Marseille 1-2 Monaco
Monaco's foray into the latter stages of the Champions League will have given them a taste for mixing it with Europe's elite, and Jardim's charges will be desperate to do it all again next year. While it should be a close affair on Sunday night, we reckon that the visitors will edge it and book their place in Europe's primary competition.
Shane Callaghan
