LOSC Lille Metropole Vs Olympique de Marseille – Ligue 1 preview
Stade Metropole Villeneuve d’Ascq will see reigning French Ligue 1 champions host the 2009/2010 Ligue 1 champions http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Olympique-de-Marseille-c40127 in a game that should be one of the most exciting match-ups in Ligue 1.
The last time these two sides met was almost a month ago in Tangiers when Marseille beat Lille in the Trophee des Champions. The two sides scored nine goals and five of those goals came in the last ten minutes of the game as Les Phoceens claimed their first
silverware of the 2011/2012 campaign.
Apart from recording an historic domestic double, Les Dogues finished last season as Ligue 1’s leading goalscorers. However, Rudi Garcia’s men have found finding the net a bit harder this term. Though they scored twice against Caen last week to record their
first win of the new campaign, Lille have started the season less brightly than many would have expected.
Lille lost the opening game of the season and drew before beating Caen so the game against Marseille could prove to be a tricky tie for a team that will be playing in the UEFA Champions League this season.
Last week, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Mathieu-Debuchy-c24682 and summer signing Benoit Pedretti scored in Normandy but Rudi Garcia is not really impressed with his side’s recent outings.
"I'm not relieved. It had to come. That's three games now - or rather four with the Trophée des Champions - where we've played rather well and deserved to win. The difference here was that we were able to force the issue," the French tactician said after
his side’s win over Caen.
While the recent victory could be considered a welcoming flip, the worrying trend continues as none of Lille’s attacking players have managed to find the net.
For weeks, people have come to expect summer signing http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Arsenal-c38429 this summer.
Payet however, is standing firm in his defence. While talking to the media, the summer signing said that he did not arrive at Lille to replace http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Gervinho-c14755 and added that all new arrivals will take some time to settle down and claimed that progress will be made.
Last season, Marseille beat Lille 3-1 at the Stade Metropole which was the champions’ only home defeat of a successful 2010/2011 campaign. Loic Remy scored twice in that game but sadly, will miss the game due to an adductor injury in last week’s stalemate
against Saint-Etienne.
Marseille have drawn all three games of the new campaign and Didier Deschamps is clearly frustrated at his side’s inability to really stamp their authority on their opponents. http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Alou-Diarra-c5259 on the other hand is satisfied with his side’s performances and thinks
that though his team has not won a match yet, the squad is looking good.
“We are a bit off the pace but we just need a win to kickstart our season,” the 30-year-old said.
Predictions
With Lille not getting the best out of their attacking unit and Marseille not being able to register more than a point since the start of the new season, it seems that tonight’s clash might not be a goal galore as many have witnessed in recent meetings between
the two sides. A draw could be a foreseeable outcome.
Predicted final score: Lille 1-1 Marseille
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