The final Ligue 1 game at the Stade Velodrome in 2024 will see Marseille host Lille on Saturday evening.
Both clubs sit in the top four heading into the weekend, in what is undoubtedly the pick of the games in the French top flight.
Match preview
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While most of the top-four challengers have been in European action in midweek, Marseille have had the luxury of having a full week off to prepare for this crunch encounter.
Continuing the momentum built up from three straight wins will be the order of the day for Roberto De Zerbi's men, with last week's 2-0 success over Saint-Etienne coming after impressive results against Lens and Monaco.
Ahead of their final league game of the year, Marseille now have the chance to record four straight league wins for the first time in 2024, with their recent run moving them up above Monaco into second on goal difference.
Slip-ups from Paris Saint-Germain have also allowed l'OM to close the gap on the champions to five points, when it appeared that Luis Enrique's side were running away at the summit.
Home form in general has not been overly impressive in 2024 for Marseille though, winning just six of their 15 games at the Velodrome in Ligue 1 this year.
If they fail to win here, that will see the club equal their lowest number of home league wins in a calendar year across the entire 21st century, after also recording only six in 2015.
So far this season, only relegation candidates Angers and Le Havre have taken fewer points from their home games, but De Zerbi's men did record an impressive 2-1 win over Monaco in their last outing here.
The hosts often enjoy facing Lille at home too, with only one defeat in 13 at home in Ligue 1, but wins have been hard to come by in the fixture across both venues, with just one win in the last eight head-to-heads.
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It will be a very difficult evening for the home side too if Lille can replicate the form they have shown over the past few months, now in the midst of a 15-game unbeaten run.
That was extended thanks to a 3-2 win over Sturm Graz in the Champions League on Wednesday, when Hakon Arnar Haraldsson netted for a second straight game to hand Bruno Genesio's men a vital three points.
Lille now sit inside the top eight of the Champions League after six games, and their place in the knockouts is secured, so it is now just a matter of whether they will advance directly to the last 16, or go through the playoffs.
Ten of their matches across this impressive unbeaten run have come in Ligue 1, and Les Dogues can equal their previous best streak, set in their title-winning season of 2020-21, if they avoid defeat on Saturday.
With Monaco and Marseille in excellent form, and Lyon keeping tabs with them, there is still little room for error though in the hunt for the Champions League places, with Lille still in fourth.
Team News
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Injuries to Ulisses Garcia and Pol Lirola saw De Zerbi test a very offensive 3-4-2-1 formation against Saint-Etienne last week, with Adrien Rabiot more advanced, and Luis Henrique utilised as a wing-back, but he may go slightly more cautious against stronger opposition.
With Amine Harit, Faris Moumbagna and Valentin Carboni all sidelined, attacking options are limited for the hosts, but with Mason Greenwood fit and firing, he will give the hosts the best chance of winning this weekend, as he has 10 league goals to his name already after another last weekend.
Lille were without influential winger Edon Zhegrova for the clash against Sturm in midweek, with Genesio explaining that he has been playing with an injury and he wanted to give the player a few days off to let it settle.
Angel Gomes remains out with a calf injury but namesake Andre Gomes will be available again after not featuring in midweek due to not being a part of Lille's Champions League squad.
Defenders Tiago Santos and Samuel Umtiti also remain sidelined, along with Ethan Mbappe and Nabil Bentaleb, who have both missed the majority of the season so far.
Marseille possible starting lineup:
Rulli; Murillo, Balerdi, Kondogbia, Merlin; Rongier, Hojbjerg, Rabiot; Greenwood, Maupay, Luis Henrique
Lille possible starting lineup:
Chevalier; Mandi, Diakite, Alexsandro, Gudmundsson; Andre, Andre Gomes; Zhegrova, Haraldsson, Sahraoui; David
We say: Marseille 1-1 Lille
Marseille's home record is extremely unconvincing, but their win over Monaco in their last outing at the Velodrome suggests a corner may have been turned following some minor turmoil last month.
Lille will want to ensure they go into 2025 with their unbeaten streak still intact, but this will be one of the toughest challenges they have faced domestically this season, and could be happy to leave with a draw.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Andrew Delaney
