Baup prepared for crucial clashes

Marseille head coach Elie Baup insists their next two games in the Europa League will decide if they progress further in the competition.

The French side face Bundesliga outfit Borussia Moenchengladbach at the Stade Velodrome on Thursday and Baup knows the importance of securing a win.

Marseille sit second in Group C, level on four points with the German side, who are third due to their inferior goal difference.

Turkish side Fenerbahce lead the group on seven points, while Cypriot club AEL Limassol are bottom with a solitary draw to their credit.

“Every game in this group is pretty tough,” Baup said.

“The group is a really high quality one. We said there are three teams who are fighting for qualification and for us, these two games against Borussia Monchengladbach, even if AEL Limassol are a quality team, and the games against the others will more than likely decide the qualification.

“Each game against them is important. There will also be Fenerbache to come later.”

Baup said his team would be chasing victory in all of their remaining matches and would not head go into any of their encounters with settling for a draw in mind.

“At the beginning, we don’t have to make plans, I don’t think the way we play and the way our team can play enables us to settle for a draw,” he said.

“The goal before the game is to win. We have to start it with the ambition of winning it. We have to choose a strategy that leads to a win.”

The Marseille boss also highlighted the importance of ironing out the unnecessary mistakes which have cost them at times this season, most recently when they gifted Gladbach a penalty 33 minutes into the teams’ last meeting on matchday three.

“First, no penalty this time. No stopping the ball in the box with our hands, we need to make as few mistakes as we can,” he said.

“After that we have to play quickly and keep moving the ball quickly. We have to play offensively and find some depth in our play.”

Baup revealed spirits were still high among the group and they had maintained an inner belief of progressing to the next stage of the tournament.

“As a team, we’re never pessimistic or anything like that. We stay confident with one thing in mind, to make up for the mistakes we have made,” he said.

“But this group of players, they are solid and they are confident in what they are doing. This group of players believe in what they do.”