Coupe de France | Round of 32

Jan 14, 2025 at 8.10pm UK

Stade Velodrome

Marseille vs Lille

Match preview

Despite going into the Ligue 1 clash with Lille without a win in four games against the Mastiffs, De Zerbi's free-scoring side will be looking to break that unwanted run.

The Olympique de Marseille side booked their place in the last 32 with a 4-0 thrashing of fellow strugglers Saint-Etienne at the end of the year, followed by a five-goal haul in a 5-1 thrashing of relegation-threatened Le Havre and a 2-1 comeback win over Rennes on 11 January.

The latest victory means De Zerbi's men are unbeaten in all competitions since 8 November - a 3-1 home defeat to Auxerre in Ligue 1 - with six wins in seven games, although their only draw in that period came in mid-December when Bafode Diakite's 87th-minute equaliser cancelled out Quentin Merlin's 17th-minute opener.

That equaliser denied Marseille a first win over Lille since September 2022, but the hosts will have another chance a month on from their disappointing league draw.

Having been knocked out of the Coupe de France on penalties in successive seasons, the home supporters will be forgiven for hoping the midweek clash ends in normal time against a team they have struggled to beat.

Six-time champions Lille may not have the pedigree of 10-time Coupe de France winners Marseille, but their 2011 triumph is more recent than the Olympians' last success in 1989.

Bruno Genesio's men are unbeaten in all competitions since their 2-0 defeat to Sporting Lisbon on 17 September, a run of 19 matches without defeat, but they have won just 10 of those four months, a 52.6 per cent success rate.

Only unbeaten Paris Saint-Germain have lost fewer Ligue 1 matches than Les Dogues' two, although the fifth-placed club's eight draws in 17 rounds is still unrivalled.

The Northmen have drawn three top-flight matches in a row, most recently at mid-table Auxerre, to drop Genesio's side to fifth - outside the Champions League places - with Lyon and Lens closing in.

They needed Ismaily's first-half strike to avoid the embarrassment of being knocked out of the Coupe de France early, although the narrow scoreline flattered the minnows, who had a chance to level the scores thanks to Lille's wasteful finishing.

Despite their encouraging run against the Olympique, a trip to Marseille will be a different proposition for the six-time champions, who are seeking a third successive appearance in the last 16 of the domestic competition.

Recent Performance

Marseille Coupe de France form:W

Marseille form (all competitions):WWDWWW

Lille Coupe de France form:W

Lille form (all competitions):WWDWDD

Team News

Faris Moumbagna (knee), Luiz Felipe (muscle), Ruben Blanco (knee), Valentin Carboni (knee) and Chancel Mbemba are all set to miss out, while Pol Lirola, Geoffrey Kondogbia and Amine Harit are all doubts.

Mason Greenwood scored the equaliser against Rennes and set up Adrien Rabiot for the winner in the comeback win, underlining the striker's importance to the home side.

Lille also have a number of injury concerns: Edon Zhegrova (muscle), Samuel Umtiti (knee), Nabil Bentaleb (heart), Tiago Santos (knee), Ethan Mbappe (thigh) and Angel Gomes are all expected to miss the visit of Marseille in midweek.

Despite providing the match-winning assist against Rouen last time out, 11-goal Ligue 1 striker Jonathan David has failed to find the net in his last five appearances for Les Dogues in all competitions, a run he will be hoping to break at the Velodrome.

Possible starting lineup

Marseille possible starting lineup:

De Lange; Murillo, Balerdi, Cornelius; Henrique, Hojbjerg, Rongier, Merlin; Greenwood, Rabiot; Maupay

Lille possible starting lineup:

Mannone; Meunier, Diakite, Ribeiro, Ismaily; Andre, Gomes; Cabella, Bouaddi, Haraldsson; David