Olympian clash at the Vélodrome
Marseille’s Souleymane Diawara gives chase to Lyon’s Bafé Gomis in Gerland
This match between the 3rd and
4th placed teams on the league standings is crucial in the race for the podium,
and why not in the race for the title?
It will also serve as a general
rehearsal for the match ahead at the Stade de France in the League Cup final
for which they have both just qualified.
Marseille hope to continue on
their impressive series across all competitions; they have just notched up 12
matches with no defeats, of which 11 were victories.
Although severely weakened by
injury and absences, Marseille have kept up the pace and have just recuperated Charles
Kaboré and Souleymane Diawara who have returned from the Afcon.
But added to the injuries of Stéphane
M’Bia and André-Pierre Gignac, and to the absence of the Ayew brothers who are
still competing for Ghana, are the recent very likely departure of Lucho to
Porto and the suspension of Mathieu Valbuena, following his expulsion against Nice
in the League Cup.
This does not bode well for Didier
Deschamps’ men who are going to have a difficult time against the Gones, a team
that has recently shown character against Lorient.
But Lyon lost in both of its last
two away games, and the Vélodrome has only been taken under siege once this season
in the championship.
Everything therefore remains open
between these two heavyweights of the Ligue 1.
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