French Ligue 1 preview: http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Olympique-de-Marseille-c40127 Vs Stade Rennais
Stade Velodrome will see Trophee des Champions winners Olympique de Marseille host last season’s surprise package Stade Rennais in a Ligue 1 encounter. Marseille coach Didier Deschamps will be hopeful that his side comes away with three points against a
tactically astute side.
Four weeks and winless
After playing four games in the recently-started 2011/2012 Ligue 1 campaign, Les Phoceens are yet to register their first win of the season. Coach Didier Deschamps though appears not much worried about the situation, deep down the Frenchman knows that failing
to get all three points again could seriously jeopardise his side’s ambitions of reclaiming the Championelle.
In Week 4 of the Ligue, Les Phoceens lost to champions Lille 3-2 in an entertaining encounter. Though Marseille impressed a lot during that game, Lille were the deserving winners. Since beating Lille 5-4 in the Trophee des Champions, Deschamps’ men have
failed to win a single game.
With the Champions League group stages looming large, Deschamps knows that a win is vital for his team’s ambitions for this season.
Marseille are currently winless in seven games and the time has come for the run to end. While talking to the media, Deschamps admitted that his side is going through a tough time but is adamant that he will give up.
"They're not pleasant times. But two experienced coaches told me one day that you have a tendency to question everything in these kinds of situations. But the solution isn't that. You have to grin and bear it. The fixture list looks testing, but we have
to keep our heads up, and keep working. Three points so far is not enough, though, in terms of our ambitions."
Banking on Gignac
Andre-Pierre Gignac was close to joining Fulham on transfer deadline day but the Frenchman returned to Marseille after the Rhone club was unable to strike a deal with Juventus striker http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Amauri-c5381. With the club having no other option, Deschamps has no option
but to trust the former Toulouse man.
The 25-year-old striker has seen a torrid time since his arrival at the club last season but Deschamps is willing to give the striker his chance. “I know that the situation is difficult bit I’ve never told him that I don’t have confidence in him,” the former
Juventus coach said.
Entertainment from Breton
Stade Rennais have definitely been the most entertaining side in Ligue 1 so far. The Bretons have scored nine goals and have conceded eight goals. Furthermore, Frederic Antonetti’s men have scored four goals in a game twice.
In Week 4, Rennais went into a 3-0 half-time lead against Caen. However, dramatic is what Stade Rennais are all about and they conceded two goals in a breathtaking encounter.
Caution to the winds
Antonetti knows that his side’s defensive frailties could prove costly and after the win against Caen, the tactician said, “We’ve still got work to do because we need to be more solid defensively and more lucid in attack.”
Team news
Marseille
Lucho Gonzalez might be given extra rest after the playmaker had a long and arduous journey back to http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Swaziland-c3014. His brother
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Jordan-Ayew-c19098 might be given the chance to start.
Nicolas Nkoulou will miss the game against Rennais. The former AS Monaco man will serve the second of a three-game ban and might miss even more Ligue 1 action ending his hearing for the Lille game.
Stade Rennais
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Morocco-c2961 international Youssef Hadji is likely to make his first start for Rennais since moving to Breton from Nancy Lorraine on the last day of the transfer window. Frederic Antonetti has no injury or suspension worries ahead of the crucial game against
Marseille.
Predictions
With both sides showing their defensive frailties right from the start of the new campaign, it seems that a high scoring game might be on the cards and a draw could be a fair result.
Predicted final score: Marseille 3-3 Rennais
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