Aiming to end a three-game losing streak in Ligue 1, Marseille welcome 11th-placed Toulouse to the Velodrome in Sunday's gameweek 28 contest, seeking to avoid slipping out of the top four this weekend.
Considering league fixtures only, the Olympians are unbeaten in this battle since 2012, holding a 21-match run entering this gameweek, and they hope to find solutions against a Le Tef side that have fallen to back-to-back losses heading into the clash.
Match preview
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Marseille may have harboured faint hopes of a title challenge earlier this season, but those aspirations have shifted to battling for Champions League qualification in the final seven rounds.
Roberto De Zerbi's third-placed side suffered a 3-1 loss at Reims last weekend, marking the club's third defeat in a row after disappointments against Lens and dominant Paris Saint-Germain.
Losing to Lens 1-0 on March 8 ended Marseille's seven-match unbeaten streak at the Velodrome, where they had recorded five victories and two draws since losing to PSG (3-0) and Auxerre (3-1) in October and November 2024, respectively.
The consequences of the recent results leave De Zerbi's team looking over their shoulders in the race for Champions League qualification, with the third-placed side on 49 points at risk of dropping to fourth if Nice (47) beat Nantes or slipping to fifth if Lille (47) defeat Lyon.
Meanwhile, in-form Strasbourg in sixth and Lyon in seventh are three and four points adrift, respectively.
While fourth place means a Champions League third qualifying round tie, Marseille's preference surely would be to retain their spot in the automatic places in the top three to avoid the embarrassment of dropping out after a season that previously promised so much.
Believing in their chances against a side they tend to fare well against, you would excuse the home supporters for expecting a return to winning ways and understand why Le Tif fans do not anticipate inflicting a fourth consecutive Ligue 1 loss on their hosts for the first time in exactly a decade.
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Toulouse last beat Marseille in a Coupe de la Ligue quarter-final match in January 2016, and you would have to go back four years for Les Violets' last top-flight victory over the Olympians.
Since that 1-0 success in March 2012, Le Tef have suffered 13 losses in 21 games, playing out eight draws.
Carles Martinez Novell's side ideally should be eager for the chance to snap that run and extend Marseille's miserable form, but Toulouse's performances and results leave much to be desired.
Novell's men have recorded two victories in the last 11 Ligue 1 fixtures, with five losses during that span, having previously secured six wins from the eight league matches preceding their extended dip.
Heading into this weekend on a two-match losing streak, conceding two in the loss to Strasbourg and four in last weekend's 4-2 defeat to Brest at home, Les Pitchouns must show a different version of themselves at the Velodrome on Sunday to end a 13-year league wait for success over Marseille.
Despite seeming safe from possible relegation — Toulouse are 10 points above Le Havre in the playoff spot and 11 clear of second-bottom Saint-Etienne — and continental qualification unlikely, supporters will hope their encouraging away record serves them well ahead of this weekend.
Novell's men had gone five matches unbeaten away from home (with three wins) before losing to Strasbourg in mid-March, and they aim to produce another positive performance against beleaguered opponents to finally bring some cheer in this fixture.
Team News
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Luiz Felipe and club captain Leonardo Balerdi are injured, leaving Derek Cornelius as the team's only natural centre-back; De Zerbi may start Cornelius with Pol Lirola and Geoffrey Kondogbia in a makeshift defence.
Other injury absentees include Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Amine Harit, Ruben Blanco and Faris Moumbagna, while Chancel Mbemba, despite being available as a centre-back, has been ostracised from the first team and is training alone.
Ligue 1 second-highest goalscorer Mason Greenwood returned to the lineup for the first time since Marseille's victory over Nantes in early March, having been introduced in defeats against Lens and Paris Saint-Germain, and the 15-goal forward aims to add to his top-flight tally.
While Frank Magri's involvement for Toulouse is uncertain this weekend, Niklas Schmidt, Rasmus Nicolaisen and Zakaria Aboukhlal are dealing with injuries.
With the away side missing Aboukhlal's seven goals, four of which have clinched matches, Le Tef will look to Joshua King, who has five goals, to take on attacking responsibility on Sunday.
Marseille possible starting lineup:
Rulli; Lirola, Cornelius, Kondogbia; Henrique, Rongier, Bennacer, Merlin; Rabiot, Greenwood; Gouiri
Toulouse possible starting lineup:
Restes; Sidibe, Cresswell, Mckenzie; Messali, Casseres, Sierro, Suazo; Gboho, Donnum; King
We say: Marseille 2-2 Toulouse
Despite Marseille's historical dominance, Sunday's match is difficult to predict due to the hosts' losing streak and defensive crisis, along with Toulouse missing their leading match-winning star, Aboukhlal.
Thus, the spoils could be shared at the Velodrome this weekend with both sides finding the back of the net.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
