Ligue 1 preview and tip: Lens and Marseille looking to stay in title race
- Sergiu Baltuta
- 5 May 2023
RC Lens and Olympique Marseille will face off in the biggest game of Round 34 in Ligue 1 at Stade Bollaert-Delelis on Saturday night. Tipstrr football pundit Sergiu Baltuta has been studying the form.
If either Lens or Marseille can win, then they might be able to apply some pressure on Paris Saint-Germain in the title race, but regardless of that, victory for either side will allow them to claim the second Champions League position with just four more games left in the season.
Lens started March in poor form as they were eliminated from the French Cup by Nantes, followed by a draw against Lille in Ligue 1 in Derby du Nord. But since then, the team led by Franck Haise have been almost perfect, winning six of the seven games they've played.
The only exception was the game at Parc des Princes, where a damaging 3-1 defeat against PSG may have ended their title chances, although Lens quickly recovered, beating Monaco 3-0 before winning 1-0 at Toulouse in midweek.
Those wins have allowed them to consolidate their place in the top five and may have even guaranteed them a top-three finish, as they currently sit eight points ahead of Monaco with five matches remaining.
Marseille's poor record against the teams in and around them suggests Lens have a decent chance of picking up a victory. OM have failed to score in their last three games against fellow top-five sides and have lost them all.
Suggested bet: Lens to win
Marseille and Lens may look at this game as the last major challenge in either side's season. If they can get through this game with a positive result, then they're both on the home straight and well-placed to push PSG.
After suffering a shocking elimination from the French Cup against Annecy in March, Marseille are unbeaten in eight matches,winning five. Despite draws against Strasbourg, Montpellier and Lorient, they seem to have returned to form with three consecutive wins against Troyes, Lyon and Auxerre.
Since their promotion in 2021, Lens have enjoyed playing against Marseille. They've won three of five meetings between the sides, although they have lost three of their last four meetings on home soil.
