- Competition: France – Ligue 1
- Date: Sunday, 28th, April 2024
- Kickoff: 20:00 UTC +1 / 21.00 CEST
- Venue: Stade Velodrome (Marseille)
The huge clash at Stade Vélodrome will close out matchday 31 of the French Ligue 1 as Marseille takes on RC Lens, aiming to continue their pursuit towards the European finish.
Marseille vs Lens Betting Tips: BTTS
Considering that both sides are affected by a crisis and have been defensively unstable lately, several goals at both ends are a highly probable outcome at the Velodrome.
With just five points separating this pair on the Ligue 1 table, Marseille will attempt to cut the deficit and move closer to the European spots, but their recent form doesn’t offer optimistic prospects as they haven’t tasted the sweetness of victory in the top-flight since March 10 when they comfortably saw off Nantes 2-0.
Indeed, Les Olympiens’ winless drought has reached five consecutive top-tier matches midweek after they split points in a frustrating 2-2 draw in the Derby de la Mediterranee against OGC Nice. The sharp decline in form was partially attributed to the woeful defense, which allowed 2+ goals in all but one of the last eight matches across all competitions.
At the Stade Vélodrome, the hosts are a formidable force to reckon with, having succumbed to defeat only once in their 22 home challenges this term, a solitary loss that came against Ligue 1’s runaway leaders PSG in late March. Having scored at least twice in 11 out of their 13 competitive matches at home, Gasset’s men should break through Lens’ backline effortlessly.
In contrast, RC Lens reignited their top-four aspirations last Saturday by edging past rock-bottom Clermont with a narrow 1-0 victory, courtesy of Florian Sotoca’s precision from the penalty spot in the third minute to help his side end a dismal four-game winless streak and revive their hopes of a consecutive European finish.
With just four games left on the schedule and a six-point deficit behind the Champions League qualification spot, the Blood and Gold are hoping to shake off their back-to-back 1-2 road losses against LOSC Lille and Metz by relying on the recent fine weather at the Orange Velodrome, where they have beaten Marseille three times in a row.
Similar to their Sunday hosts, RC Lens have also recently shown cracks at the back, evidenced by just one clean sheet in their last five Ligue 1 contests. Additionally, Les Olympiens have seen their last two top-flight matchups conclude with a 2-2 scoreline, suggesting that another thrilling stalemate at the Velodrome wouldn’t be unexpected.