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Sunday sees Marseille face off with Nice in a huge Ligue 1 game at the Stade Velodrome.
Marseille are currently in second place in the table, with Nice just one place below them based on goals scored.
The winner of this one will take a huge step towards UEFA Champions League qualification, so which side will come out on top?
Marseille vs Nice Head-to-Head
After a phenomenal run that saw them lose just once in 13 games, Marseille’s form was appearing to tail off in recent weeks, particularly in a three-game winless run against Clermont, Troyes and Monaco.
It seemed like Jorge Sampaoli’s men simply couldn’t handle playing twice a week – but they bucked that trend last weekend by following a European win over Basel with a 1-4 victory over Brest.
Marseille defeated their Swiss opponents again this Thursday to move into the Europa Conference League’s quarter-finals – but Nice promise to be much trickier foes this weekend than Brest were last weekend.
Indeed, Christophe Galtier’s side have been flying in recent weeks, with their 1-0 victory over Paris St. Germain on March 5 being easily the biggest of their campaign thus far.
Overall, Nice have looked excellent, winning 15 of their 28 games and falling to defeat on just seven occasions – the most recent loss coming on February 12.
The one worrying trend for them right now, though, is their lack of goals. Galtier’s men have scored just two in their last six fixtures – something they’ll need to remedy if they are to qualify for the Champions League.
The last time these sides met was in the Coupe de France; Nice ran out 4-1 winners. However, of their last six meetings, Marseille have won three.
Marseille form guide: D-L-W-W-W
Nice form guide: W-D-W-W-D
Marseille vs Nice Team News
Marseille
Remarkably, given they only played on Thursday, Marseille have no injury concerns coming into this match.
Injured: None
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None
Nice
First-choice defender Dante is suspended, while two other players look doubtful for this key game.
Injured: None
Doubtful: Youcef Atal, Jordan Amavi
Suspended: Dante
Marseille vs Nice Predicted XI
Marseille predicted XI (4-3-1-2): Pau Lopez, Pol Lirola, William Saliba, Duje Caleta-Car, Luan Peres, Matteo Guendouzi, Boubacar Kamara, Gerson, Dimitri Payet, Cengiz Under, Arkadiusz Milik
Nice predicted XI (4-4-2): Walter Benitez, Jordan Lotomba, Jean-Clair Todibo, Pablo Rosario, Melvin Bard, Justin Kluivert, Mario Lemina, Morgan Schneiderlin, Khephren Thuram, Amine Gouiri, Andy Delort
$1,000 Risk-Free Bet at FanDuel SB
Marseille vs Nice Prediction
This is a genuinely huge meeting that could have real ramifications for the race for Champions League qualification, and it could go either way.
The big question is whether Marseille will struggle after playing in Europe as they’ve done in previous weekend games. If that’s the case, then Nice may well edge this one.
However, the visitors haven’t been on their best goalscoring form recently, and if they can’t score, then they’re going to struggle to win. Overall, a draw seems likely.
Prediction: Marseille 1-1 Nice
