Marseille vs Bordeaux
Marseille vs Bordeaux Saturday 17 October 2020 – 20:00 kick-off
French Ligue 1
Pick: Bordeaux or Draw (Double Chance)
Odds: 5/6
Bookmaker: Betway
(All betting odds displayed were correct at time of writing: 14 October 2020)
Preview: Locked side-by-side in the Ligue 1 table after embarking on identical starts to the season, Marseille will entertain Bordeaux at the Stade Velodrome on Saturday without a win in four and missing their talismanic playmaker.
French Ligue 1 Betting at Bet365
Table of Contents
Marseille Preview – Break arrived at a good time for Villas-Boas?
In their first season under Portuguese coach Andre Villas-Boas, Marseille developed a useful habit of grounding out narrow victories – often when not playing all that well. It resulted in 10 of their 16 wins in Ligue 1 in 2019-20 coming by a one-goal margin, and they never won by more than two clear goals. It is a habit they must rediscover, and quickly, if they do not wish to be left behind by the leading pack.
As football returns following a recent spate of international matches, the club resumes in tenth place in the Ligue 1 standings after two wins from six (W2 D3 L1). Their first fixture back is a favourable one, at least: the last time they lost a home encounter with Bordeaux in the league was more than a decade ago (W7 D5 since a 2-1 loss in May 2008). However their start to the season has been far from convincing.
Since sealing back-to-back victories over Brest and PSG in the opening two rounds, L’OM have failed to win in four subsequent Ligue 1 outings having drawn each of the previous three – with Lille, FC Metz and Lyon – by the same 1-1 scoreline. To compound their woes, star man Dmitri Payet – the creative hub of this side – is suspended for seeing red against Lyon before the break, in a game they were fortunate not to lose.
Bordeaux Preview – Scoring comes easier on the road?
In seemingly no time at all Bordeaux have settled into an area of the Ligue 1 table they know all too well, having finished in or around mid-table in each of the past two league campaigns. They currently reside in 9th (W2 D3 L1), and it would have been worse, too, had it not been for a 3-0 victory at their Matmut Atlantique stadium over struggling Dijon prior to the recent break for internationals.
That aforementioned win marked only their fourth in Ligue 1 in their previous 18 matches (W4 D8 L6). Meanwhile, since the start of last season, seven of their eleven league league victories were accompanied by a clean sheet, including both times this season, highlighting the importance of keeping things tidy at the back. Especially as creating chances and converting them isn’t exactly this team’s forte.
Jean Louise Gasset, the Bordeaux coach, has overseen a side which has failed to score in 50 per cent of Ligue 1 matches this term. All three were at home, though, with it important to note how this team has only failed to locate the back of the net in one of the past 11 Ligue 1 away encounters (W3 D4 L4). Moreover, the signing of former L’OM attacker Hatem Ben Afra is a welcome addition to their ranks.
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Marseille Vs Bordeaux Betting Advice
If predicting the outcome of this clash came down to a process of elimination, a victory for Bordeaux would be out of the question. Jean Louis Gasset’s side have won only six of 17 away Ligue 1 games since the start of last season, with all six coming against sides who finished 2019-20 in the bottom half of the table. Furthermore, their most recent win at Stade Velodrome was back in 2008 (D5 L7 thereafter).
Marseille Vs Bordeaux – Key Facts
- Each of the last five Ligue 1 games involving Marseille featured fewer than three goals with the last four of those seeing them fail to win (D3 L1).
- Goals have also been in short supply for Bordeaux whose six Ligue 1 games this season (W2 D3 L1) produced both teams to score on just one occasion.
- One of the past eleven Ligue 1 meetings between these sides featured three or more goals, while Marseille are unbeaten as the home side since 2008 (W7 D5).
Marseille secured second place by the time last term was curtailed, and they did so by a comfortable margin. This season has been a struggle, though, and they come into this contest winless in four (D3 L1) since stunning PSG in Paris. The recent break may have done them some good then, however the loss of Dmitri Payet is not something that can be easily dismissed. The visitors, therefore, could be worth taking a chance on.
Best Match Odds – Marseille Vs Bordeaux
Marseille – 21/20 (BetFred)
Draw – 5/2 (Betway)
Bordeaux – 29/10 (BetVictor)
