Marseille Vs Strasbourg
Marseille Vs Strasbourg Saturday, 21 May 2022 – 20:00 (BST)
French Ligue 1
Pick: Under 2.5 Goals
Odds: 11/10
Bookmaker: Bet365
(All betting odds correct at time of writing: 18 May 2022)
Preview: The stakes at the Stade Velodrome for Sunday’s climax to the 2021/22 Ligue 1 season couldn’t be much higher for the teams in question, with Marseille and Strasbourg desperately in need of all three points to aid their respective quests for Champions League and Europa League qualification.
French Ligue 1 Betting at Betfair
Table of Contents
Marseille – Goals drying up at worst possible time?
L’OM couldn’t have chosen a worse time for a lapse in confidence in front of goal, with last Saturday’s blank in the 2-0 away reverse to Rennes making for a third goalless outing across their past four competitive matches. Another came in the second leg of their Europa Conference League semi-final, losing narrowly on aggregate after a 0-0 scoreline in France which saw them also lose the influential Dimitri Payet to injury.
Falling short of their first appearance in a European final since 2018 hurt, but qualifying for next season’s Champions League would soften the blow. Jorge Sampaoli knows his team only need a point to ward of interest from Rennes for third place, which is a UCL play-off berth. Meanwhile, should they better whatever result Monaco achieve on the last day, Marseille will snatch back second and qualify automatically.
Key Stat: There has only been one instance of Marseille drawing a Ligue 1 game in their last 17 top-flight fixtures, L’OM winning seven and losing four of eleven league games since a 1-1 scoreline on the road against ESTAC Troyes on 28 February.
Strasbourg – Alsatians primed for first H2H away win since 1997?
Anyone expecting Saturday’s guests to the Stade Velodrome to merely be compliant in Marseille’s quest for Champions League football could be in for a rude awakening. In fact, Julian Stephan and his players will be just as fired up, arguably more so, seeking a win that guarantees them European football next term. However, failure to pick up all three points could see them miss out altogether should Nice prosper at Reims.
So the stakes are incredibly high. The tension is bound to be palpable. For Strasbourg, though, momentum is on their side. A gritty display last time out at home to Clermont secured them a second quick-fire 1-0 win, and means only Monaco begin Matchday 38 on a longer run of consecutive victories. Moreover, that is now one loss in 15 Ligue 1 games (W7 D7) for the side from Alsace, in eastern France.
Key Stat: Strasbourg wouldn’t muster up more than one goal in any of their last five away matches (W1 D4), but are still amongst the more reliable scorers on the road having netted in 15 of 18 Ligue 1 away games so far this season.
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Marseille Vs Strasbourg Betting Advice
The prizes on offer should they win Saturday’s Stade Velodrome encounter are far from insignificant, nor are the ramifications should either side fail to put their noses in front come the full-time whistle. Therefore, this could lead to a tense and nervy affair in the south of France. Marseille didn’t score at all in three of their four recent games (three in Ligue 1, one in Europe), and Strasbourg a modest three in their last five away.
Marseille Vs Strasbourg – Key Facts:
- None of the past five Ligue 1 meetings saw more than two goals produced between the sides, with four of these encounters seeing exactly two goals.
- Marseille did emerge triumphant when the sides met first time around this term, though, a 2-0 scoreline at Stade de la Meinau extending L’OM’s unbeaten Ligue 1 streak against Strasbourg to 12 (W7 D5).
- Both managers will feel their teams are susceptible though. Marseille having suffered two losses in their last three league games (W1), while Strasbourg were without an away win in five (D4 L1) prior to a 1-0 success at Brest last time out on the road.
So, goals could very well be in short supply. This would, however, align with their recent head-to-head matches. A 2-0 win for Marseille earlier in the season made for a fifth consecutive Ligue 1 meeting seeing Under 2.5 Goals, with the last two staged here at Stade Velodrome producing a 1-1 draw last season and a 2-0 win for Marseille in 2019/20. At odds-against, then, a bet on unders makes a lot of sense.
Best Betting Odds – Marseille Vs Strasbourg
Marseille – 23/20 (BetFred)
Draw – 13/5 (BetVictor)
Strasbourg – 23/10 (Bet365)
