Ligue 1 champions Olympique de Marseille have been playing catch-up in the early part of this campaign, having suffered a poor start to the season in which they were defeated in each of their opening fixtures. Presently sitting fourth in the standings, les Phoceens could go top on Saturday evening if they beat Racing Club de Lens and leaders Stade Brestois falter.
Since a turbulent beginning, Marseille have started to settle down, and though Didier Deschamps’ side are not playing champagne football by any means, they are playing winning football. With the exception of the 7-0 thrashing of Zilina in the Champions League, OM have often looked laboured offensively, but that hasn’t stopped them chalking up a tally of goals unsurpassed by any Ligue 1 side or racking up an eight match unbeaten run in the league.
Paris Saint-Germain brought that undefeated sequence to a close last weekend with a 2-1 victory in the Derby de France. Surprisingly it was les Parisiens who looked the mentally tougher of the two sides, with OM twice blinking in the early minutes and thereafter being unable to recover.
But Deschamps’ side progressed through to the semi-finals of the Coupe de la Ligue by defeating Monaco 2-1 on Wednesday, though les Phoceens suffered their share of second half scares after right-back Cesar Azpilicueta popped up as the unlikely scorer of the winning goal.
After that affair, the coach spoke of a need to instil a winning mentality in his side, and they will get a chance to exercise that attribute on Saturday night against improving opponents.
Reasons To Be Cheerful
Lens are another side picking themselves off the floor after a dreadful start to the season. Les Sang et Or’s hopes this season are a good deal more modest than those of Saturday’s opponents, but their early season slump was long and at one stage looked to be terminal as coach Jean-Guy Wallemme wrestled to find an effective set-up for his side.
Goals are still lacking in the Pas-de-Calais side’s performances, with Toifilou Maoulida erratic, Eduardo short of confidence and David Pollet and Issam Jemaa both injured. But the defence has improve markedly over the course of the last month, conceding only once in their last four outings, and it will be this aspect of the team most severely tested come Sunday.
The financially bereft French champions of 1998 do have further reason to travel to Provence with some confidence. Last season they twice upset OM, defeating them 1-0 at home in the league almost exactly a year ago and then knocking them out of the Coupe de France, also at the Stade Bollaert, 3-1 in early February.
Provence is not an especially happy hunting ground for Lens historically, though. They’ve travelled to the Stade Velodrome on 44 occasions and won only nine, the latest of which was in 2007, when Aruna Dindane scored the only goal from the penalty spot.
While many onlookers will see victory as impossible for the northern club, the last 15 fixtures between OM and les Sang et Or at the Stade Velodrome have never been separated by more than a single goal. With the visitors’ defence in good form, another tight affair should be anticipated.
TEAM NEWS
Marseille
Didier Deschamps doesn’t have any serious issues approaching the weekend. Gabriel Heinze has been given the all-clear to play but there is some doubt over the fitness of Benoit Cheyrou. Meanwhile, Edouard Cisse has return to action but Hilton is still out.
Lens
Visiting coach Jean-Guy Wallemme has a host of worries as les Sang et Or make the long journey down to the Stade Velodrome. Issam Jemaa was last week ruled out for three months due to a torn muscle in his left leg and Yohan Demont is a recent casualty after breaking his hand punching a wall at the club’s training ground. Franck Queudreu, who only made his debut last weekend, will be absent for a month, while Samba Sow and David Pollet are long-term issues.
Alaeddine Yahia returns to action after being banned last weekend.
Prediction
Marseille may have slipped up in the Derby de France, but the signs are that this was a simple hiccup. OM got back to business impressively in midweek, and though their visitors were able to rest up before this fixture, les Phoceens should be good enough to claim maximum points.
Marseille 1-0 RC Lens 
