Our prediction for this Europa League match:
Marseille
Match Time & Date:
22/02/2024
21:00
Prediction: 2-1
Shakhtar Donetsk
A spot in the Europa League last 16 will be at stake when Olympique Marseille and Shakhtar Donetsk take on each other at Stade Velodrome on Thursday. OM do not seem to be at their sharpest, with the team failing to win the previous seven games in all competitions, but they are still seen as favourites to beat the Miners in front of home fans. Experienced midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia is widely expected to return to the starting XI, while Samuel Gigot is back from the domestic ban. Ismaila Sarr returns from suspension as well, but Leonardo Balerdi is banned for the match.
The Ukrainians, on the other hand, came from behind to share the spoils with Marseille in the first leg, but they will have a much bigger fish to fry at Stade Velodrome as Gennaro Gattuso’s troops have turned their stadium into a real fortress. To make things even worse for the away team, defender Valeriy Bondar serves a one-game ban.
Highlighted Player (Valentin Rongier):
Valentin Rongier is a French footballer, who plays for Ligue 1 side Nantes as a defensive midfielder. Rongier, who was born on December 7, 1994 in Macon (France) scored two goals in 39 appearances for Nantes B from 2013 to 2015 and he made his Ligue 1 debut with Les Canaris on October 18, 2014 in a 1-1 draw with Stade de Reims.
It has to be noted that he replaced Lucas Deaux 15 minutes before the final whistle. Over the years Valentin Rongier has established himself as a first-team regular at Nantes and you should know that he made no less than 31 appearances for the club in the 2016/2017 Ligue 1 campaign.
On June 25, 2015 he extended his deal with the La Beaujoir-Louis Fonteneau outfit and his contract should expire on June 30, 2020. Valentin Rongier’s main position is defensive midfielder, but he is used as a central midfielder as well. His preferred foot is right.
Highlighted Team (Shakhtar Donetsk):
Despite the fact that they were founded back in 1936, Shakhtar Donetsk were struggling to win the Ukrainian Premier League trophy until 2002. The Miners have established themselves as the dominant force in Ukrainian football and it has to be noted that they won their ninth domestic trophy in 2014.
Shakhtar Donetsk were playing at Donbass Arena in the past, but due to war in Donbass the club temporarily moved to Arena Lviv. In 2009 the Miners won the UEFA Cup trophy under Romanian boss Mircea Lucescu, beating Werder Bremen in the title game. Croatian full back Dario Srna was named the man of the match. Dynamo Kiev are considered Shakhtar Donetsk’s main rivals and there have always been fireworks in meetings between the two sides.
Shakhtar have a rivalry with Metalurh Donetsk as well and the two local rivals face each other in the Donetsk Derby. Chelsea ace Willian, Manchester United star Mkhitaryan and Manchester City midfielder Fernandinho all played for Shakhtar in the past.
Brentford 
Arsenal 
Juventus 
Milan
Nice 
Rennes
Valencia 
Real Madrid 
Tottenham 
Newcastle
Aston Villa
Leicester
