OM in the top three, Strasbourg dreams of Europe
Olympic Marseille – RC Strasbourg Alsace Saturday at 21:00 CET (1900 GMT)
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Marseille had hoped to have secured a place in Europe’s elite club competition by now, but they stumbled in the home strait. A 3-0 loss to Olympique Lyonnais in their last home game at the Orange Velodrome came between the two legs of their grueling Europa Conference League semi-final loss to Feyenoord. Then last weekend they were completely outplayed in a 2-0 loss to Stade Rennais FC in Brittany, without managing a single shot on target.
Jorge Sampaoli’s side wanted to secure second place, and with it a guaranteed spot in the Champions League group stage next season. Instead, they retain third place, which brings them a place in the third qualifying round and no certainty of a place in the lucrative group stage proper. They were overtaken last weekend by AS Monaco as the resurgent side from the principality secured a remarkable ninth successive victory. Meanwhile, Rennes came back to within three points of OM in fourth position.
For Marseille, the equation is essentially simple. As long as they avoid defeat to Strasbourg at the Vélodrome, they are guaranteed to finish in the top three. It’s worth pointing out that the Alsace team haven’t won a league game in Marseille in 13 attempts since 1997.
Watch: Marseille lose at Rennes
To deal with the more complex permutations: Marseille must improve on Monaco’s result to reclaim second place, where they have spent much of the campaign. However, if both sides win, OM could still outclass Philippe Clement’s side by overturning their goal difference advantage – Monaco’s goal difference is currently better than four, and they have scored four more goals as well. If Sampaoli’s men lose for the sixth time at home in the league this season, then Rennes will edge them out with an away win at LOSC Lille. Until Monaco suffer a much heavier away defeat at RC Lens at the same time, Marseille will finish fourth and settle for a place in the Europa League group stage next season.
“Our goal is to qualify for the Champions League. If we can’t do that, we’ll be disappointed, but I’m confident. We are building a new project here,” said midfielder Mattéo Guendouzi, one of three Marseillais named to the last France squad this week along with William Saliba and Boubacar Kamara, the latter called up for the first time.
Marseille’s preparation for the game has been slightly overshadowed by doubts surrounding the future of Argentina coach Sampaoli, who has made it clear he doesn’t just want to qualify for the Champions League – he also wants to return. team strong enough to compete properly.
Watch: Strasbourg sees Clermont
“I don’t know if I’ll be there next season or not. I don’t think about that at the moment. The real question is why do we want to be in the Champions League next season? Is it just for the money or is it to be competitive? We have to be clear and honest, it’s more important than any project, or who the coach or the president is,” he said during his press briefing on Thursday.
“We have to know what kind of team we can have to perform well in this competition. We have to build a team for that, that’s what the big clubs do.
Strasbourg “without pressure”
Marseille will be without Saliba for the final game of the campaign as the young Arsenal centre-back on loan serves a suspension. This means Kamara could move into central defense alongside Duje Caleta-Car. In the meantime, it remains to be seen who is playing in attack, with Dimitri Payet sidelined and Sampaoli playing without a proper centre-forward at Rennes. Cédric Bakambu was ruled out in Brittany, while Arkadiusz Milik did not come off the bench after suffering a knock in the preparation.
Strasbourg have enjoyed a superb second half of the season, losing just one of their last 15 games to enter the final night with European qualification in their hands. They currently sit in fifth place, two points behind Rennes in fourth but above OGC Nice in sixth on goal difference alone. Lens is also hiding two points from seventh place.
Julien Stephan’s side have a six-goal advantage over Nice, so a victory in Marseille would surely guarantee at least fifth place and therefore a place in the Europa Conference League next season. A win would also see them take fourth place and a Europa League spot should Rennes lose at the same time. But failing to win could leave Nice or Lens in and see them miss out on Europe.
“There’s no need to put extra pressure on yourself. Whatever happens it will be positive and it’s already been a successful season for us,” said Stephan, who has guided Strasbourg to their best league campaign since. nineteen eighty one.
“A lot of people thought we would fall at the end of the season, but we still have a chance to qualify for Europe. It’s completely unexpected. I think there’s more pressure on Marseille than on us. .
Defender Maxime Le Marchand should return to the Strasbourg bench while Moïse Sahi and Habib Diallo are injured. Veteran skipper Dimitri Liénard is suspended.
Possible teams
Marseilles: Mandanda (c); Rongier, Kamara, Caleta-Car, Luan Peres; Guendouzi, Gueye, Gerson; Ünder, Milik, Dieng (or Harit)
Strasbourg: salts; Guilbert, Perrin, Nyamsi, Djiku (c), Caci; Thomasson, Prcic, Bellegarde; Gameiro, Ajorque
>> NEWS: Boubacar Kamara called up for the France team