Prediction: Match to end in 2-2 draw
Best Odds: 10/1
Marseille and Newcastle United will lock horns with each other in the UEFA Champions League this week. The League Stage game between the Ligue 1 outfit and the Premier League club will be held at the Orange Velodrome in Marseille and is scheduled to kick off at 8pm UK time on Tuesday.
Marseille
Marseille are one of the biggest clubs in France and did extremely well last season. Under manager Roberto De Zerbi, Les Phoceens finished as high as second in the Ligue 1 table in the 2024-25 campaign and will be determined to become the champions of France this time around.
Les Olympiens are doing well in the league at the moment. Marseille are second in the Ligue 1 table right now with 28 points from 13 matches, two points behind leaders and defending champions Paris Saint-Germain.
Marseille, though, have been dire in the UEFA Champions League. The French club are 25th in the standings and have picked up just three points from four matches.
Roberto De Zerbi’s side will head into the UEFA Champions League game against Newcastle United on the back of a 5-1 victory over Nice away from home in Ligue 1. It came after a 3-0 victory over Brest in front of their fans in the league, which followed a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Atalanta at home in the UEFA Champions League.
Ahead of th match, De Zerbi said: “I don’t think we need to do anything more. We just have to play our game, stick to the plan.
“It’s always a special occasion, we have to play with the same passion and the same courage. Newcastle are very good, physically they’re good. But we’ve already faced teams like that in Ligue 1.
“At the Velodrome, it’s a special place. Every match is a final, it will be a difficult match, we need points. We want to win this match like all the others.”
The Marseille boss continued: “Newcastle is a strong, physical team. They’ve been playing together for a long time. It will be a difficult match, but I don’t think it will be decisive.
@Last year’s Champions League showed that. Teams that were practically finished a few matches from the end (of the league phase) qualified.
“We don’t have enough points. It will be an important match. Against Atalanta, we didn’t play our best, but we deserved more. We could have taken points from all four of our matches. Newcastle is strong, but we have strong players too, and we’re playing at home.
“I know we have to win four matches to qualify. One or two isn’t enough. We have to play well and be decisive in both penalty areas: score goals and defend well.
“We expect strong players from Newcastle. They have a world-class midfield with Tonali, Guimarães, and Joelinton. But if we focus too much on others, we risk forgetting our own strengths. We know we have to be attentive, but we must also remember our own strengths, which are numerous.
“Newcastle is a physical team, but they know how to play, with fast players on the wings. If you want to be at the top of the Premier League, you need a strong team at every level.
“They are coached by a good manager whom I know well. They are a strong team, but football is beautiful because results don’t depend solely on strong players.
“They also depend on motivation and courage. We have strong players too. It’s true, I’m not just saying that to sound good. We have the tools to cause them problems.”
Team News:
Marseille are likely to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Newcastle United. Jeffrey de Lange will be in goal for the French club and will have Timothy Weah, Benjamin Pavard, Leonardo Balerdi and Emerson in front of him in goal. Geoffrey Kondogbia and Arthur Vermeeren will be the two holding midfielders. Mason Greenwood, Angel Gomes and Igor Paixao will be the three attacking midfielders. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will lead the line for Marseille.
Newcastle United
Newcastle United are one of the biggest clubs in the Premier League and are hugely ambitious as well. The Magpies finished in the top five of the Premier League table last season and also won the Carabao Cup.
Eddie Howe’s side are 14th in the Premier League table at the moment with 15 points from 12 matches, four points above the relegation zone and six points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa.
The Magpies are doing better in the UEFA Champions League. Newcastle have picked up nine points from four games.
Newcastle United will head into the UEFA Champions League game against Marseille on the back of a 2-1 victory over Manchester City at St. James’ Park in the Premier League. It came after a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Brentford on the road in London in the league, which followed a 2-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao at home in the UEFA Champions League.
Ahead of the game against Marseille, Howe said: The acid test is Marseille and Everton.
“We have to now go away in the Champions League to a very difficult opponent and we need to perform.
“We’ll get very limited rest and that’s the biggest challenge we face.
“Our schedule between now and the end of January is relentless, so now the players have to look after themselves, we have to regroup and go again.”
Team News:
Newcastle United are likely to line up in a 4-5-1 formation against Marseille. Newcastle manager Eddie Howe will have Nick Pope in goal. Valentino Livramento, Malick Thiaw, Fabian Schar and Lewis Hall will be the four defenders. Bruno Guimaraes will be the holding midfielder and will have Sandro Tonali and Joelinton next to him, with Jacob Murphy and Harvey Barnes on the flanks. Nick Woltemade will lead the line for Newcastle.
Key Factors to Consider
- Marseille have won 3 of their last 5 matches in all competitions.
- Marseille have lost 1 and drawn 1 of their last 5 matches in all competitions.
- Marseille have scored 11 goals and conceded 4 goals in 5 matches in all competitions.
- Newcastle United have lost 2 of their last 5 games in all competitions.
- Newcastle United have won 3 of their last 5 games in all competitions.
Conclusion
Both Marseille and Newcastle United are in good form at the moment, and the UEFA Champions League game between the two sides promises to be hugely exciting. It will be a competitive game of football and is likely to end in a draw.
Prediction: Match to end in 2-2 draw
Best Odds: 10/1
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