Our prediction for this Ligue 1 match:
Lille
Match Time & Date:
20/05/2023
21:00
Prediction: 1-1
Marseille
There will be fireworks when Lille and Marseille face each other in the Ligue 1 derby at Stade Pierre-Mauroy on Saturday evening. Les Dogues have been having their ups and downs of late, with the team beating Ajaccio, losing to Reims, while sharing the spoils with Monaco. Lille are eager to book their place in European competitions, but they face a difficult task in Saturday’s clash. Both Alexsandro Ribeiro and Jose Fonte are banned for the match, while Edon Zhergrova misses out with injury.
OM, on the other hand, are one point away from securing their spot in the Champions League and, taking everything into account, we believe that there is a big value in betting on draw. Both Samuel Gigot and Azzedine Ounahi are out of contention through injuries, speaking of the visiting team. You should know that under 2.5 goals have been netted in four of their last five meetings in the French top flight.
Highlighted Player (Jose Fonte):
Born in Penafiel in 1983, Jose Miguel Da Rocha Fonte spent his early career in the lower divisions of the Portugal’s league system, and while he did join giants Benfica in 2006, he never made a single league appearance for the Eagles.
The loan spell with Crystal Palace proved crucial for the towering defender as he later secured a permanent move to Selhurst Park, performing well in three Championship campaigns. Fonte then surprised everyone when he joined League One side Southampton, but that would prove to be the best decision he has ever made, as he helped the Saints return to the Premier League before establishing himself as one of the leading central defenders in the elite division.
Rated for his aerial ability, but also quite capable on the ground, Jose Fonte even caught the eye of England’s top clubs, although a big club move never materialised for him. The late bloomer eventually played himself into the first team plans of Portugal coach Fernando Santos, making his Selecao debut at the age of 30.
Highlighted Team (Marseille):
Olympique de Marseille are considered one of the best French football clubs. Les Olympiens won their ninth Ligue 1 title in 2010, but winning of the 1992/1993 Champions League trophy is seen as the club’s biggest success. Marseille defeated Italian giants Milan in the title game, with Basile Boli scoring the winner (1-0) in the Olympiastadion showdown.
It has to be noted, though, that the Stade Velodrome outfit were banned from defending the title in the 1993/1994 season after being involved in a match-fixing scandal. To make things even worse for the fans, the club suffered enforced relegation to the Ligue 2. Olympique de Marseille participated in the Europa League final on two occasions (1998/1999, 2003/2004), but they were beaten by Parma and Valencia respectively in the title games. OM’s home ground Stade Velodrome was opened on June 13, 1997 and the capacity of the stadium is 67.394.
The likes of Franck Ribery, Didier Deschamps, Didier Drogba, Laurent Blanc, Fabien Barthez, Samir Nasri, Fabrizio Ravanelli and Djibril Cisse all played for Marseille in the past.
