<p><strong>French Ligue 1 preview: AJ Auxerre vs. Olympique de Marseille</strong></p>
<p>Olympique de Marseille will be heading to Stade de l'Abbé-Deschamps to face AJ Auxerre on August 14, 2011. Both teams failed to register a win on their opening matches of 2011/2012 Ligue 1 season, though Marseille fared a little better by scrapping a point
on the first day.</p>
<p><strong>AJ Auxerre</strong></p>
<p>AJ Auxerre have been struggling to maintain their form and have won a solitary game int heir their recent five outings. They managed to defeat Ligue 2 team Stade Reims 2-0 in a friendly match.</p>
<p>Having flirted with relegation all of last season, Auxerre were able to pull themselves together and managed to win five games with one loss in their last ten games of 2010/2011 Ligue 1 campaign. </p>
<p>The Burgundy club were outclassed in the 2011/2012 Ligue 1 opener by Montpellier Herault SC, losing 1-3 at Stade de la Mosson and now stand at 17th place after the first week of Ligue 1 Championelle.</p>
<p>Les Phoceens and AJA have met 25 times in Ligue 1 games. AJA have won nine games whereas Marseille have been victorious in six games. </p>
<p>Laurent Fournier, coach of Auxerre, has not been able to win against the Rhone club, managing to draw only once while he was defeated twice.</p>
<p>Though the former Paris Saint-Germain coach started his first Ligue 1 competition with a 3-1 loss, the French tactician is not worried about the team’s form.</p>
<p>“My team is young, and they want to go forward, and we're going to help them. I'm not worried by what I saw out there tonight.” He was quoted saying.</p>
<p><strong>Olympique de Marseille</strong></p>
<p>Olympique de Marseille’s triumph over defending champions LOSC Lille Metropole in the Trophee des Champions boosted their confidence as they entered the season opener against FC Sochaux-Montbeliard.</p>
<p>For all the expectations, Marseille were unable to register a win and only managed to draw the score line even in the 74<sup>th</sup> minute.</p>
<p>Les Phoceens will still have their confidence intact when compared to their rivals on the day, who suffered a 3-1 loss in their starting match.</p>
<p>Didier Deschamps, coach of Marseille, is yet to register a win against the Burgundy club in the last four matches. He was able to draw three times and suffered a defeat once. But the team will have their chins up as they were able to win 2-0 in their last
visit to Stade de l'Abbé-Deschamps in Coupe de La Ligue semi-final.</p>
<p><strong>Team News</strong></p>
<p><strong>AJ Auxerre</strong></p>
<p>AJA’s first-choice goalkeeper Oliver Sorin is still out with an injury and is expected to be replaced by Donovan Leon, who will be appearing in his second Ligue 1 match. Right-back Cedric Hengbart is also forced to sit on the sidelines with an ankle injury.</p>
<p><strong>Olympique de Marseille</strong></p>
<p>Andre-Pierre Gignac is off to reduce some of his excess weight in an Italian spa and will not feature in this weekend’s clash. Defender Nicolas N'Koulou will be available after serving a two-match ban carried over from last season.</p>
<p><strong>Key players for both the teams</strong></p>
<p>Alain Traore will play a key role in creating scoring opportunities for Auxerre. He scored against Montpellier Herault SC to tie the game. </p>
<p>Player to watch for Marseille is Lucho Gonzalez, who is rumoured to be playing in his last match for Les Phoceens. The Argentine international scored a fabulous equaliser against FC Sochaux-Montbeliard.</p>
<p><strong>Prediction</strong></p>
<p>Olympique de Marseille appear to be much more composed and disciplined than Auxerre and will be able to grab 3 points in the upcoming match.</p>
<p>Predicted final score: Olympique de Marseille 2-1 AJ Auxerre</p>
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