Preview: Marseille vs Toulouse - prediction, team news, lineups

Marseille will try to keep their 100% home record in Ligue 1 intact this weekend when they host Toulouse at Stade Velodrome on Saturday evening.

Coming into matchday 14, OM are second, after thrashing Nice 5-1, while Toulouse sit 10th in the table, losing 1-0 at Angers last Saturday.

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Match preview

The Marseille campaign has been a series of peaks and valleys, and lately it has been a lot more of the latter, with this team winning three successive matches across all competitions.

Roberto De Zerbi’s men are just two points behind Paris Saint-Germain for the top spot heading into this weekend, outscoring their Ligue 1 opponents this month by a combined margin of 9-1.

They continue to find the back of the net with ease, scoring a league-high 33 times this season, 21 of which have come at Stade Velodrome.

At the same time, they have been solid at the back throughout November, conceding a goal or fewer in all five of their competitive matches played this month, including just one domestically.

Dating back to last season, Marseille have gone on to win their last nine Ligue 1 affairs in which they were in front after 45 minutes, including all six so far this season.

Les Phoceens are unbeaten in their previous dozen home meetings with their upcoming opponents, winning five of those last six games against them at Stade Velodrome.

While OM are scoring with ease, that is one of the main problems that has been plaguing Toulouse throughout November.

Carles Martinez has seen his side fail to score in two of their three matches played this month, netting just one goal in all.

Their lack of decisiveness in the attacking third will come as a bit of a surprise, knowing that they boast the third-most touches in the opposition’s box.

Entering this weekend, they are winless in their last two Ligue 1 encounters away from home, while three of their previous five domestic affairs were as the visitors.

At the same time, they have shown some resiliency on the road in the competition this season, claiming four points from a losing position in their last three away fixtures.

You have to go all the way back to March 2012 to find the previous time Le Tefece earned maximum points in the top-flight versus Marseille at Stade Velodrome, beating them 2-1 on that occasion.

Marseille Ligue 1 form:

Marseille form (all competitions):

Toulouse Ligue 1 form:

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Team News

A knee issue may keep Ruben Blanco on the Marseille sidelines Saturday, Amine Gouiri is dealing with a sore back, Nayef Aguerd still has a groin strain, Michael Murillo is doubtful due to a knock, as is Hamed Traore because of a leg injury.

Mason Greenwood added two more goals to his tally against Nice, giving him a league-leading 10 on the campaign, with the other OM goals coming from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Igor Paixao and Timothy Weah.

Three players could be missing from the Toulouse lineup this weekend, including Mario Sauer, who has a knock, while Abu Francis is out with a tibia fracture and Niklas Schmidt will not feature as he is recovering from a cruciate ligament tear.

Martinez made two changes to his starting 11 against Angers, bringing in Aron Donnum and Alexis Vossah to replace captain Djibril Sidibe and Francis, while we will not see Donnum as he was given a two-match suspension this week.

Marseille possible starting lineup:

Rulli; Weah, Pavard, Egan-Riley, Palmieri; O’Riley, Vermeeren; Greenwood, Gomes, Paixao; Aubameyang

Toulouse possible starting lineup:

Restes; McKenzie, Cresswell, Nicolaisen; Sidibe, Casseres, Vossah, Methalie; Magri, Gboho; Emersonn

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We say: Marseille 2-0 Toulouse

Marseille’s big weapons are in excellent form at the moment, and that confidence should see them get past a Toulouse side desperate to get back on track.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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