Roberto De Zerbi has urged his Marseille group to make up for his or her midweek Champions League defeat by beating Ligue 1 leaders Lens on Saturday.
De Zerbi watched on as his group had been comfortably swatted apart 3-0 by Premier League champions Liverpool on Wednesday, leaving them nineteenth within the 36-team standings.
Marseille know a win over Membership Brugge of their remaining league section conflict will seal a spot within the play-offs, however a return to home motion is first up for De Zerbi’s facet.
They welcome shock top-flight leaders Lens to Stade Velodrome, with Pierre Sage’s facet a degree away from defending champions Paris Saint-Germain within the desk.
Marseille sit eight factors adrift of Lens, however are nonetheless assigned a 0.9% likelihood of lifting the title in response to the Opta supercomputer.
“They’re a group that deserves to be on the high of the desk,” De Zerbi instructed reporters.
“We now have the qualities, typically we present them, typically much less so. It’s as much as us to play the sport the suitable manner.
“If we win, we’ll be again to inside 5 factors. That’s what we’re aiming for in tomorrow’s match. If we win, we’ll be 5 factors behind with all of the matches nonetheless to play.
“Three factors towards the leaders. To make up for Wednesday’s poor efficiency and put together for the subsequent recreation, which will probably be decisive. We’re coming off two troublesome days.”
A technique during which Marseille have gone about making an attempt to enhance their title possibilities is with signings, with two new faces launched to supporters forward of their conflict with Lens.
Arsenal teen Ethan Nwaneri has joined on mortgage for the remainder of the season, whereas Quinten Timber has additionally arrived on a everlasting deal from Feyenoord.
Timber, the dual brother of Nwaneri’s Arsenal club-mate, Jurrien, had been a key determine for Feyenoord this time period.
Certainly, throughout his 17 top-flight appearances, solely Anis Hadj Moussa (eight), Sem Steijn (9) and Ayase Ueda (19) have extra aim contributions than Timber (six).
And the 24-year-old has his eyes firmly set on profitable silverware.
“That’s a protracted reply,” Timber mentioned when requested about his ambitions. “I spoke with the coach, he instructed me concerning the group, that he needed to win each competitors.
“We’re going to play towards the leaders, we need to win all the pieces.
“I’m going to push my team-mates to win video games, that’s my mentality and that of the gamers who’re already right here.”
De Zerbi was additionally thrilled to welcome the Netherlands worldwide into his ranks.
“He’s prepared to begin as a result of he’s been taking part in on a regular basis,” De Zerbi added.
“I anticipate him to be a high quality midfielder who can ship by way of each high quality and amount. He’s arrived with enthusiasm. He’s a vital participant.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Marseille – Mason Greenwood
After failing to get on the scoresheet towards Liverpool, Greenwood will probably be hoping to proceed his high-quality type in Ligue 1.
The 24-year-old is the highest scorer in Ligue 1 this season with 12 targets, however he has solely scored one aim in 526 minutes towards the present high eight groups within the division (one aim each 76 minutes towards different groups).
This single aim was, nonetheless, scored towards Lens in October, although Marseille had been nonetheless on the tip of a 2-1 defeat.
Lens – Mamadou Sangare
Ought to Lens need to restrict free-scoring Marseille to some possibilities within the remaining third, they are going to want Mamadou Sangare to be in high type.
He has tried (51) and received (32) extra tackles than another participant in Ligue 1 this season.
MATCH PREDICTION: MARSEILLE WIN
Marseille have misplaced seven of their 11 Ligue 1 matches towards Lens since they had been promoted in 2020-21 (W3 D1), solely shedding extra top-flight video games towards PSG over the identical interval (eight).
De Zerbi’s facet have additionally failed to attain in three of their 5 residence Ligue 1 video games towards Lens for the reason that guests’ final promotion, as many instances as they did of their earlier 46 encounters.
Marseille have scored 2.2 targets per recreation in Ligue 1 since De Zerbi took cost, the very best common for an OM supervisor within the high flight over the past 50 years (minimal 5 video games).
Lens, in the meantime, have 43 factors after 18 Ligue 1 matches in 2025-26 (W14 D1 L3). Excluding PSG, solely Lyon (44 in 2005-06 and 49 in 2006-07) and Good (43 in 2016-17) have reached at the very least this tally at this stage of a top-flight marketing campaign within the final 40 seasons, counting three factors for a win.
They’ve additionally received every of their final 4 away video games in Ligue 1, which is the longest present run and their longest profitable streak away from residence within the competitors’s historical past.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Marseille – 46.7%
Draw – 24.6%
Lens – 28.7%