Bordeaux vs Marseille

April 11, 2015
By: Nemanja Lazarevic

High-flying Bordeaux remain in contention for European positions and they could even enter the race for Champions League places if they beat Marseille. And while OM are shaken by the derby loss to Paris Saint-Germain, they are looking to extend the impressive run that saw them score 10 goals in last two away games.

Bordeaux continue to impress

Bordeaux entered the current campaign with a squad very similar to that of last season, and not too many people expected them to play an important role in the top half of the standings. However, talented coach Willy Sagnol has proved his coaching credentials by leading les Girondins to sixth in Ligue 1, with his side clearly playing above all expectations. The team have been especially impressive of late, winning five of last eight league matches to keep their European hopes alive and it is also important to note that Bordeaux have been scoring goals for fun of late. Les Girondins scored eight in last four matches, putting three past holders PSG and no doubt they will have plenty of chances to hit Marseille on the break due to Marcelo Bielsa’s ultra attacking style of play. The likes of Rolan, Khazri and Thelin are all capable of producing something in the final third, although their own back line will have problems stopping free-scoring OM. The good news is that coach Willy Sagnol will have a number of important players back in contention and the hosts will be feeling optimistic ahead of the high-profile clash.

Jaroslav Plasil, Wahbi Khazri and Ludovic Sane are back from suspension, but Clement Chantome is banned and Marc Planus, Cheick Diabate, Jussie, Nicolas Pallois and Younes Kaabounin are out injured.

Brave performance vs PSG

Marcelo Bielsa’s post-match speech nicely summed up Le Clasique match against Paris Saint-Germain as his side did their best on the night, but that only proved enough for a narrow defeat. Knowing the Argentine coach, chances are Marseille will not give up on the Ligue 1 title as long as there is a slim chance of winning it, but they also need to get back to winning ways as quickly as possible in order to secure Champions League qualification. OM need to take at least one point from Stade Chaban-Delmas in to return to third position with Monaco having won the Friday’s game against Caen, but there are no doubts the visitors will be looking to claim maximum points if possible. And while team’s back line have been far from impressive in the absence of Nicolas N’Koulou, Marseille continued to demonstrate their attacking prowess, scoring ten goals in their last two fixtures on the road, while putting two past Paris Saint-Germain. With both Gignac and Batshuayi scoring goals for fun, the excellent run looks set to continue against Bordeaux, and I can see Marseille outscoring the opposition on Sunday.

Nicolas N’Koulou is expected to return to the starting line-up, but Andre Ayew is banned. Gianelli Imbula is back from suspension, while Abdelaziz Barrada remains sidelined.

Verdict

Bordeaux head into the high-profile clash in excellent spirits having won three of last four Ligue 1 fixtures and they will obviously be looking to take advantage of Marseille’s gung ho style of play. OM can be trusted to produce a good response after the costly loss to PSG and continue with amazing results on the road.

Top pick: Over 2.5 goals  1.92 (23/25) @ BetVictor

Alternative pick 1: Both teams to score   1.73 (8/11) @ Ladbrokes

Alternative pick 2: Away win + both teams to score   5.50 (9/2) @ bet365

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