Marseille will host Lille at the Stade Velodrome in Ligue 1 on Saturday less than a week after the ugly scenes which led to the postponement of the Derby des Olympiques.

Gennaro Gattuso's side have not been in action since a Europa League victory over AEK Athens a week-and-a-half ago, as their clash with Lyon was called off shortly before kickoff last weekend.

Match preview

Terrible scenes outside the Velodrome on Sunday night saw the match postponed on safety grounds as Lyon manager and Gattuso's former Italy teammate Fabio Grosso was taken to hospital after being struck by missiles which smashed up the visitors' coach.

Marseille can expect to be punished with a hefty fine and a stadium closure, and a date for the rescheduled affair is yet to be announced.

This game should go ahead as planned with a capacity crowd given the lower risk involved as the two clubs are not rivals, but the authorities will still be on high alert.

On the pitch, Gattuso will have been frustrated to have the game postponed, as he has enjoyed much success at the Velodrome since taking over last month.

Starting with two wins and a draw in his first five games, both of those successes came here at the Velodrome, in the aforementioned clash with AEK and in the league against Le Havre.

Another home fixture will be much welcome before a potentially tough trip to Athens in midweek, as away is where troubles have lied, with defeats against Monaco and Nice the only blots on the Italian's record so far.

Not playing last weekend has meant Marseille have lost some ground though, falling to ninth, but the closeness of Ligue 1 so far means they are still only three points from a European spot while only being three clear of the relegation zone.

Like Marseille, Lille also started the season in disarray but have recovered since and a push for the Champions League places is in full swing.

That sluggish start saw Lille win just two of their first six matches, but a fine win over a strong Monaco side saw them consolidate their place in the top four.

Shaky form on the continent in the Europa Conference League has not knocked LOSC domestically either, as they have taken 10 points from their previous four league games.

League form is covering for how poor Lille have been in Europe, especially after they were held to a draw by semi-pro Faroese outfit KI Klaksvik, while only scraping past Olimpija Ljubljana and Slovan Bratislava on home soil.

Travelling to the Velodrome has not been fruitful of late for Lille either, as they have won here just once since they were crowned Ligue 1 champions back in 2012.

Away form in general is a big worry, as the side have won just three away games in 2023, with a recent win at Le Havre being their first in almost seven months.

Since that win, Paulo Fonseca's side were dreadful at KI, not registering a single shot on target against very lowly opposition, and they were fortunate not to lose at Lens despite taking an early lead.

Team News

After initially being suspended for the clash with Lyon, Leonardo Balerdi will now serve his ban in this fixture after last week's postponement.

Azzedine Ounahi was also set to miss the clash and he is unlikely to return in time here after injuring his back in a fall at his home.

Goalkeeper Pau Lopez is absent with a thigh problem, so Spanish compatriot Ruben Blanco should start between the sticks, while Joaquin Correa is also not yet ready for a return, so Iliman Ndiaye and Ismaila Sarr are set to feature out wide.

Lille defender Tiago Djalo is close to returning from the ACL injury which has kept him out long term, but his days at the club may be numbered after recent reports linking him with a move to Inter Milan when his contract expires at the end of the season.

Elsewhere on the injury front, Icelandic youngster Hakon Arnar Haraldsson is out with a calf injury picked up prior to their clash with Slovan Bratislava two weeks ago.

Fonseca is therefore fortunate that Kosovan winger Edon Zhegrova is in such fine form, and he continued his purple patch by setting up both goals in the win over Monaco last week.

After seven games without a goal, Jonathan David was dropped by Fonseca for the fixture last week, with the manager preferring Yusuf Yazici in a false nine role.

The manager could stick with the Turkish international too after a fine performance, and considering David has not scored a league goal since the 4-1 loss at Lorient on matchday three, despite netting 24 Ligue 1 goals last season.

Marseille possible starting lineup:
Ruben Blanco; Clauss, Mbemba, Gigot, Renan Lodi; Veretout, Rongier, Harit; Ndiaye, Aubameyang, Sarr

Lille possible starting lineup:
Chevalier; Diakite, Yoro, Alexsandro, Ismaily; Andre, Gomes, Cabella; Zhegrova, Yazici, Ivan Cavaleiro

We say: Marseille 1-1 Lille

Since being stunned by Annecy in the Coupe de France at the start of March, Marseille have lost just one of their 13 home matches since, and they will expect to keep that run going here.

Lille are a team in form though, especially domestically, and after seeing off Monaco last week, they will have the confidence to pick up a result at the Velodrome, despite it typically being an unhappy hunting ground.


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