Soccer France Ligue 1 Prediction

Lille vs Marseille - Match Preview

⚽ 20 May 2023 - 19:00 GMT +0

Lille is facing a challenging conclusion to their season, having secured only two victories from their last six Ligue 1 matches (D2, L2) despite managing to earn what coach Paulo Fonseca described as an "important point" at Monaco last weekend (0-0). They must now be concerned about the possibility of losing their top-five place in favour of Rennes if they are unable to secure a victory in their 110th top-flight clash with Marseille.

The LOSC will fancy their chances of getting back on track at the Pierre-Mauroy Stadium, where they haven't been beaten in competitive action since August (W12, D4). Regardless of whether the Mastiffs can extend that sequence or not, fans should make sure to arrive at the stadium on time, since a league-high 71% of Lille's home games have seen the opening goal scored within the first 30 minutes, which has also been the case in the previous three H2Hs.

The Olympians' doubts didn't last for long after conceding the first goal in the 28th minute against rock-bottom Angers on Sunday, as they managed to equalise just six minutes later on the way to a 3-1 win at Stade Vélodrome. With this win, Marseille remained within just two points of the top two teams, and another victory here would guarantee them a place in the UEFA Champions League (preliminary rounds or group stage) for the next season!

Tudor's men have showcased their ability to recover from bad starts, with their win against Angers contributing to the division’s best average point return (1.5 per game) after conceding first this campaign (W6, D3, L5), which speaks volumes of the resilience within the group. Their impressive away campaign (W12, D3, L2) could be key to claiming their seventh league double against Lille this century, following their 2-1 H2H home win in September.

📋 Players to watch: Lille's top scorer, Jonathan David (G21), netted a brace in the previous two H2Hs played at this venue, with three of his goals coming in the 90th minute or later. He’s up against Marseille’s lucky charm, Cengiz Ünder, who is now undefeated in his 18 goalscoring appearances since joining the club in July 2021 (W15, D3).

⚡ Hot stat: Lille has failed to score before half-time in all but one of the previous ten Ligue 1 H2Hs held here.