Marseille boss desperate for strong performance against Zilina
Olympique Marseille manager Didier Deschamps says that his is eager for his French Ligue 1 champions to put in a strong performance against Slovakian outfit MSK Zilina.
The sides clash in a UEFA Champions League group stage match at the Stadion Pod Dubnom on Wednesday, 3 November, and Deschamps is desperate for his players to make up for ground lost to his former club
Chelsea and Russian outfit Spartak Moscow.
"This is a big match for Zilina who are hoping to get in the UEFA Europa League. They will be stronger at home but we're also capable of playing better," he told UEFA's official website.
Marseille are third in the group with three points gained from their home game against Zilina, but trail Spartak who have six points and the English Premier League champions, who top the table with nine.
Deschamps is also keen for his players to gain some game time against Zilina after Marseille’s scheduled match against Rennes on Sunday was postponed. That meant that the club’s players have not featured
in a competitive game since the Coupe de la Ligue match against Guingamp on 27 October.
"Certain players featured in the League Cup match against Guingamp but others have had a longer break. We've tried to keep everybody sharp by training more and performing different exercises, but we'd
rather have played a game," he said.
As a result, they have been carrying out a range of exercises to maintain their fitness, but Deschamps is eager for his men to play in a proper match.
"Every team in the UEFA Champions League has a certain quality otherwise they wouldn't be here. I imagine Zilina will be highly motivated and will look to grab all three points after playing well against
us at Stade Velodrome a fortnight ago."
Zilina lost 1-0 to Marseille in that game, but Deschamps told UEFA.com he wasn't willing to rest on his laurels.
"My players didn't play well in that game, but they have shown me in training that they want to improve. That's important for me. This is a big match for Zilina who are hoping to get in the UEFA Europa League.
They will be stronger at home but we're also capable of playing better."
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