Monaco vs Marseille

A mouth-watering Ligue 1 showdown pits Monaco and Marseille against each other at the Stade Louis II in the final league fixture ahead of the World Cup break.

Monaco’s 2-0 win away to Toulouse last weekend made it two Ligue 1 wins without conceding in a row, handing them an opportunity to do it on three successive occasions for the first time since April 2021. Level on points with fourth-placed Marseille but four adrift of third-placed Rennes, ‘Les Monégasques’ need a win to maintain their Champions League qualification hopes alive. After going winless in five straight top-flight duels against Marseille (D2, L3), Philippe Clement’s men have been victorious in two of their last three Ligue 1 H2Hs (L1). Based on Monaco’s free-scoring form, home supporters can dream big. The hosts have scored in 13 consecutive Ligue 1 outings in the run-up to this match, with only Paris Saint-Germain (17) enjoying a longer scoring streak in the league.

On the other hand, Marseille got their stuttering Ligue 1 campaign back on track with a keenly-contested 1-0 home win over Lyon last weekend, giving their fans some consolation following a heartbreaking Champions League group stage exit. Before beating Lyon, ‘Les Olympiens’ had been winless in four successive league matches (D1, L3), so there’s no time to celebrate. Igor Tudor’s men are on the cusp of achieving a flattering milestone as a potential success in the French principality would mark their 500th competitive triumph in the new millennium. However, to get that accomplishment over the line, the visitors must snap an underwhelming three-game away winless run in all competitions (D1, L2). Having won ten Ligue 1 fixtures on the road since the calendar year flipped to 2022, Marseille should be confident about their chances in this clash.