Olympique de Marseille under pressure before their trip to Reims

Traveling to the Auguste-Delaune stadium in Reims this evening at 8:45 p.m., OM must win to take second place in the standings.

Traveling this evening to Reims, on behalf of the 28th day of the championship, Olympique de Marseille is under pressure. Yesterday, RC Lens provisionally recovered the place of dolphin in Marseille. The Sangs et Or easily won at home against bottom-run SCO Angers, with a score of 3 goals to 0.

In Champagne, Igor Tudor’s men will have to fight to find their second seat. Opposite, the players of Stade de Reims have not experienced defeat in the league for 19 games. Either since the arrival of their new trainer Will Still.

Over this period, Reims ranks 5th in the standings with 33 points taken, just like Nice. Only Paris, Marseille and Monaco do better with respectively 38 points acquired for PSG and 36 points for the two southern clubs in this phase.

Moreover, OM coach Igor Tudor reminded his group of his opponent’s good run. “I told my men that Reims is currently the best French team“, he said in a pre-match press conference.

For the Marseillais, it will also be necessary to be wary of the English striker, Folarin Balogun. For his first season in Ligue 1, the young striker has already shown all his qualities. Very skilful in front of the cages, he scored 16 banderillas in the league.

Even if Igor Tudor can count in his ranks the return of the Avignon defender, Samuel Gigot. “Spartacus” as he is nicknamed will compensate for the absence of the highly contested Leonardo Balerdi, suspended for the next two games.

Before the opening of the 28th day, the Stade de Reims is in eighth place in the standings with 43 points, 13 lengths from Marseille. And at home, the team trained by Will Still is fifth and remains on 4 consecutive victories at Auguste-Delaune.

But let OM supporters be reassured, the OM have good statistics away from home. Since Olympique de Marseille is quite simply the best team in the league off its bases this season. In 13 games played away from the Vélodrome, the skies and whites have gleaned 32 points, with a record of 10 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss. Valentin Rongier’s teammates are on a series of 7 rank successes away from home.

Another positive point for the Olympians, they have won their last two matches on home soil. Even if the balance sheet leans heavily for the locals since OM have lost 20 times to Reims, for 6 draws and 8 wins. Even if since the return of the Champagne club to Ligue 1, OM have dominated the debates with 4 wins, 1 draw and 2 losses.

After the draw (2-2) against Strasbourg last week at the Vélodrome, Olympique de Marseille must redeem themselves. A victory tonight against Reims would erase a little bit the disappointments of recent weeks. And above all, it will allow the Marseillais to keep their destiny in their hands as regards direct qualification for the Champions League next season. Because in the final sprint, it is better not to drop points.