Marseille Vs Reims
Marseille Vs Reims Sunday, 7 August 2022 – 19:45 (BST)
French Ligue 1
Pick: Reims or Draw
Odds: 11/8
Bookmaker: Betfair
(All betting odds correct at time of writing: 5 August 2022)
Preview: Matchday 1 from France’s 2022-23 Ligue 1 wraps up at the Stade Velodrome where a Marseille at crisis point resume their quest for a first home victory since 2016 over Stade de Reims. The pair would share the points in this fixture last term, Dmitri Payet rescuing a 1-1 draw in the dying embers of the game.
French Ligue 1 Betting at Betfair
Table of Contents
Marseille – All change in the south of France?
In two of the past three seasons Marseille would finish as the best of the rest, behind PSG who ought to be winning this league at a canter with their gargantuan resources dwarfing that of their modest rivals. However, instead of L’OM basking in last term’s success, they have opted to implode. Jorge Sampaoli vacated the manager’s post, citing a lack of financial backing, and in his place comes the divisive Igor Tudor.
Reports of unrest amongst the players are rife, Tudor’s no nonsense, hard-working approach seemingly not going down well. The word ‘crisis’ is being banded about often. All of which creates a cocktail of negativity ahead of the new season, which gets underway with a home fixture against Reims – an opponent they’ve not managed to beat at Stade Velodrome in Ligue 1 in their four most recent attempts (D3 L1).
Key Stat: Marseille’s record of W9 D5 L5 in Ligue 1 home games ranked only ninth best in the French top tier last term, though they did win four of the last five (L1) league encounters at the Stade Velodrome.
Reims – Opening with road game not a bad thing?
A fifth successive spell in the French top-flight is ample reward for another solid campaign from Stade de Reims, who will be out to improve upon last season’s 12th place. They would finish 14 points clear of relegation trouble under Oscar Garcia, the Spaniard overseeing three wins from his team’s final six encounters including back-to-back road victories at Lorient and St Etienne.
Now, an opportunity to record three consecutive Ligue 1 away wins for the very first time beckons. The omens are encouraging. All four seasons since their promotion back to the top division, in 2018, has seen them on the road on Matchday 1, with their record across these games a more than respectable W2 D2. Conversely, replacing Hugo Ekitike’s goals (10 in 15 league games last season) is a challenge.
Key Stat: Last season in Ligue 1, Reims – who ended 2021-22 losing only one of the last six away matches (W4 D1) – amassed just one more loss away from home (W6 D7 L6) than Marseille would here at Stade Velodrome (5).
Don’t miss out on other Betting Tips & Predictions
Click here for more Betting Tips
Marseille Vs Stade de Reims Betting Advice
There are so many reasons as to why Marseille are a terrible bet this weekend. Sunday’s hosts are a general 4/7 to open their 2022-23 Ligue 1 account with three points. This despite last season’s runners-up putting together a mediocre record in home league games in 2021-22, winning around fifty per cent of the time (W9 D5 L5). That implies they are too short for this opening fixture.
Marseille Vs Stade de Reims – Key Facts:
- Just one of these side’s nine prior Ligue 1 meetings with Marseille as hosts resulted in a home win, with Stade de Reims avoiding defeat on all four prior visits (W1 D3).
- Marseille would see out the 2021-22 league season in France in excellent form at home, though, recording a win in four of the final five fixtures (L1) at Stade Velodrome.
- However, Stade de Reims were competent travellers last time round (W6 D7 L6 across 2021-22) and, after wins at St Etienne and Lorient in May, are aiming to record three successive Ligue 1 away wins for the first time in their history.
Reims also boast a handy record at the Stade Velodrome, losing none of their last four visits and only in nine visits (W2 D6) going back to 2013. All of the last five here, meanwhile, were closely fought affairs, seeing on average 1.4 goals per game with none seeing more than two. As such, supporting Under 2.5 Goals at 19/20 seems viable. While combining that with Reims or Draw (Double Chance) comes to 11/4.
Best Betting Odds – Marseille Vs Stade de Reims
Marseille – 4/7 (Bet365)
Draw – 3/1 (WilliamHill)
Stade de Reims – 11/2 (BetVictor)
