Ligue 1 | Gameweek 32

May 4, 2025 at 7.45pm UK

Stade Pierre-Mauroy

Lille vs Marseille

Match preview

Having finished fourth in Ligue 1 in the 2023-24 season, which earned them a place in the Champions League qualifying rounds, Lille are on a mission to progress straight to the league phase this time around.

Les Dogues took another giant step towards qualifying for UEFA's elite club competition on Sunday afternoon when half-time goals from defender Alexsandro Ribeiro and Iceland international Hakon Haraldsson secured a 2-1 victory over relegation-threatened Angers.

In the midst of a three-match winning streak as the season draws to a dramatic close, Lille sit third in the Ligue 1 standings, two points behind second-placed Marseille and two ahead of fifth-placed Lyon with three games in hand.

Bruno Genesio's men will be desperate to continue their excellent run of form at the Decathlon Arena, where they have won four consecutive league games in front of their home fans.

Jonathan David is a superstar worthy of football's biggest stages, and after back-to-back 26-goal campaigns in 2023 and 2024, the Canadian marksman is on course to break his own personal record, having found the net 25 times in all competitions so far in 2024-25.

After a sobering eighth-place finish at the top of French football last season, 10-time domestic champions Marseille are back in the top flight of Ligue 1 and Sunday night's visitors to the Decathlon Arena have enjoyed plenty of success on the south coast in recent times.

Les Olympiens' winning streak at the Stade Velodrome was extended to four high-profile encounters last weekend as 62,000 fans were treated to a masterclass from Amine Gouiri, the 25-year-old Algerian scoring a sensational hat-trick as the hosts overcame mid-table Brest 4-1.

Mason Greenwood, who netted Marseille's second goal on a productive afternoon last time out, has taken to Ligue 1 like a duck to water this season, with the former Manchester United and England youngster scoring 18 goals and providing four assists in 31 league appearances.

Wins in three of their last four matches have seen Roberto De Zerbi's men sit second in the Ligue 1 standings ahead of Sunday's trip to Lille, four points clear of fifth-placed Lyon and with just nine points to play for at the end of the season.

Although only champions Paris Saint-Germain (37) have picked up more away points than Marseille's 27 this season, Les Olympiens have struggled away from the Stade Velodrome in recent times, losing four consecutive Ligue 1 games by an aggregate score of 12-2.

Recent Performance

Lille Ligue 1 form:LWLWWW

Marseille Ligue 1 form:LLWLWW

Team News

After seeing red in the second half of last weekend's win over Angers, Lille's Bafode Diakite will be suspended for the trip to Marseille.

The 24-year-old will join Ethan Mbappe (hamstring) and Tiago Santos (knee) on the sidelines, with both out for the remainder of the campaign.

Les Dogues will also be without a key attacker, with Kosovo international Edon Zhegrova suffering a muscle injury in December.

Marseille are also without the services of centre-back Luiz Felipe, who suffered a rare eye injury in mid-March.

Les Olympiens have been short of goalkeeping options throughout the campaign, with Spaniard Ruben Blanco recovering from a serious knee injury.

Possible starting lineup

Lille possible starting lineup:

Chevalier; Meunier, Mandi, Ribeiro, Ismaily; Haraldsson, Andre, Gomes, Fernandez-Pardo; David, Akpom

Marseille possible starting lineup:

Rulli; Murillo, Balerdi, Kondogbia, Garcia; Rongier, Hojbjerg; Greenwood, Rabiot, Henrique; Gouiri