Marseille will be eager to get their Ligue 1 title bid back on track on Friday when they make the trip to Nantes.

Marcelo Bielsa's side have lost their last two games in the league, but a victory at the Stade de la Beaujoire would see them temporarily move to within two points of leaders Paris Saint-Germain.

Nantes

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Despite sitting in 11th place in the Ligue 1 table, Nantes are still far from safety. Michel Der Zakarian's men remain just five points above the relegation zone following a three-game winless run.

The team's recent form reflects their precarious position in the standings, with just two victories coming in their last 12 matches.

Their most recent outing came on Sunday when they suffered a 1-0 defeat away to Saint-Etienne. Franck Tabanou scored the only goal of the game as Nantes were condemned to a second consecutive loss.

With wins hard to come by this season, Nantes can point to a lack of goals as the root of their problem. Les Canaris are the joint lowest-scoring side in the division having found the net just 25 times so far. Their top scorer is Jordan Veretout, who has scored six times this term.

However, Nantes can take encouragement from having the sixth best defensive record in France's top flight. The team has kept 10 clean sheets so far, conceding 33 goals elsewhere - just three fewer than leaders PSG.

With the sides below them all struggling for points, Nantes will be confident that they can avoid the drop. That said, they could be in for an edgy end to the campaign should they fail to halt their slump sooner rather than later.

Recent form: WLWDLL

Marseille

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Marseille head to Nantes in need of some points after seeing their title challenge suffer a setback with two consecutive defeats in recent weeks.

L'OM are currently in fourth place in the table, though a win on Friday would see them climb past Monaco and into third position.

Their charge for the Ligue 1 crown was dealt a blow two weeks ago with a 3-2 defeat to champions PSG before a narrow 1-0 loss to Bordeaux saw them lose further ground on the Parisiens. Cedric Yambare netted the decisive goal at the Stade Chaban Delmas.

While Nantes are currently suffering from a lack of goals, Marseille do not have such a problem. With 62 scored so far this season, they are the most lethal team in the league. Andre-Pierre Gignac is their leading scorer with 18 goals to his name.

At the other end of the pitch, nine clean sheets mean that they have a problem with keeping the goals out. They have let in 35 so far at an average of 1.09 per game.

Their hopes of winning a first Ligue 1 crown since 2010 have taken a hit during the past fortnight, but Marseille can put themselves right back in the mix if they leave Nantes with the three points.

Recent form: WDWDLL

Team News

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With a trip to fellow strugglers Toulouse on the horizon, Nantes will be eager not to suffer any injury problems against Marseille.

However, they will have to do without Olivier Veigneau and Georges N'Koudou, who are both currently sidelined.

Marcelo Bielsa is likely to name his strongest possible side for the match, with Andre Ayew available again after serving a suspension.

Nantes possible starting lineup:
Riou; Cissokho, Vizcarrondo, Djilobodji, Bessat; Hansen, Gomis; Bedoya, Veretout, Gakpe; Bammou

Marseille starting lineup:
Mandanda; Romao, Fanni, Morel, Dja Djedje; Imbula, Mendy, Thauvin, Payet, Alessandrini, Gignac

Head To Head

Marseille earned a routine 2-0 victory in the reverse fixture earlier this season as goals from Florian Thauvin and Rod Fanni saw them make it seven consecutive home wins.

The overall head-to-head record between the sides is fairly close, with Marseille recording 16 wins and Nantes clinching 10 victories. They have also played out 12 draws.

With just one win in their previous seven games against Marseille, Nantes's last victory over L'OM came back in December 2013 - a 1-0 triumph at the Stade Velodrome.

We say: Nantes 0-3 Marseille

Marseille's need for points should see them go on the offensive and pick up a win. The visitors have the best attacking record in the league, while the hosts have the joint worst defensive record, so there could be plenty of goals. Nantes are scrapping away for their own reasons, but they are unlikely to stop a Marseille side that could reignite their title aspirations.

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