Trophee des Champions Preview: LOSC Lille Vs Olympique de Marseille
On July 27, 2011, reigning Ligue 1 champions LOSC Lille will face Rhone giants http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Olympique-de-Marseille-c40127 in the Trophee des Champions match at Grand Stade, Tangiers.
Tangiers will host the clash which would officially announce the opening of the 2011/2012 Ligue 1 campaign.
Probable line-ups
LOSC Lille
Landreau, Debuchy, Basa, Chedjou, Beria, Pedretti, Mavuba, Balmont, Hazard, Sow, Payet.
It seems that Lille coach Rudi Garcia will not field a strong starting XI in the contest with Marseille. However, the French tactician would be looking to give competitive debuts to summer signings, Benoit Pedretti, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Dimitri-Payet-c11276 and Marko Basa.
Team news
Summer signing http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Laurent-Bonnart-c21732 has not travelled to Morocco with the rest of the squad due to an injury while Tulio de Melo is also looking set to miss the game.
Olympique de Marseille
Mandanda, Azpilicueta, M’Bia, Diawara, Morel, Cheyrou, Diarra, Lucho Gonzalez, Ayew, Remy, Valbuena
Team news
Les Phoceens travel to http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Fabrice-Abriel-c13207 has been left out of the squad, thus adding more fuel to rumours that the Frenchman’s time at the Stade
Velodrome is coming to an end.
Summer signings, Jeremy Morel (http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Morgan-Amalfitano-c26799 and Nicolas N’Koulou might start the game from the bench.
Lucho Gonzalez has been linked with a move away from the Rhone side since the start of the summer transfer window but the Argentine is likely to start the game.
Facts and figures
Wednesdays Trophee des Champions encounter will be Lille’s first ever. The Ligue 1 champions have never before played in the one-game trophy decider so Rudi Garcia would be looking to make full use of his chance to land his first trophy of the season.
Goalkeeper http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Mickaël-Landreau-c25513 is playing in his fifth Trophee des Champions match. The 32-year-old previously won the trophy with Nantes in 1999 and 2001.
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Olympique-Lyonnais-c40130.
Olympique de Marseille are the defending champions of Trophee des Champions after Didier Deschamps’ men beat Paris Saint-Germain in a penalty shoot-out at Rades, Tunis on July 28, 2010.
Marseille shot stopper http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Ludovic-Giuly-c22617 to hand Marseille the trophy.
Alou Diarra signed for Marseille from FC Girondins de Bordeaux this summer and the France international has a great record against Lille. In his last eight encounters with les Dogues, the 30-year-old has lost just once.
Another former Bordeaux player http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Souleymane-Diawara-c33850 is aiming to win the Trophee des Champions for the third consecutive time. The Senegalese international won the trophy with Bordeaux in 2009 before winning it again last year with Marseille.
Players to watch
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Eden-Hazard-c11863 (LOSC Lille)
The UNFP Player of the Year for 2010/2011 Ligue 1 season would be under a lot of pressure to deliver yet again for Les Dogues. The recent departure of Gervinho to http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Gervinho-c14755’s
replacement Dimitri Payet settles down at the club.
Loic Remy (Marseille)
The France international finished the 2010/2011 campaign in good form and would be looking to carry on from where he left last season. The youngster was a lively presence for Didier Deschamps’ side in attack last season and more of the same would be expected
of the former Lyon youngster in French version of ‘Supercoppa’.
Prediction
Ostentatiously, this game is being considered as an opening of the French season but it can be expected that both managers would be looking to keep their place safe from injuries. Though both teams would be looking to win the trophy, the two coaches recognise
that more crucial battles lie ahead in the 2011/2012 season which means that the game might not be played at a high tempo.
Another penalty shoot-out for the trophy cannot be ruled out.
Predicted final score: LOSC Lille 1-1 Olympique de Marseille
Tags: