Marseille’s season has taken a turn in recent weeks. Just when things were looking up after five wins in a row, they’ve fallen horrendously off a cliff.
Their current form has been largely responsible for placing them out of reach for European qualification next season through their league positioning.
Marseille vs Benfica Betting Tips
- First team to score - Benfica @ 2.07 with Supabets
- Double chance & over 2.5 goals - Marseille/Draw & Yes @ 2.52 with Supabets
- Both teams to score in the second half @ 2.85 with Supabets
All odds are courtesy of Supabets, correct at the time of publishing and subject to change.
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OM are ninth in Ligue 1 with six games left to play and have to bag all 18 remaining points to give themselves a chance at finishing in the top six.
However, silverware is still a possibility but one that’s also fading away. Losing 2-1 in the first leg last week wasn’t ideal as they must halt a poor run of form to turn things around.
Benfica visit the Stade Velodrome in good spirits having done the job in Portugal last Thursday.
The Eagles still have a chance at winning their domestic title as they’re only four points behind leaders Sporting. But they must now focus on holding off Marseille.
One positive for the hosts going into this game is the fact that their players should be well-rested since they didn’t have a game over the weekend.
First blood
Since the second leg of their last 16 match against Villarreal, Marseille have been on a downward trajectory.
They’ve conceded first in their last five competitive games, including against the Spanish outfit a month ago.
In contrast, Benfica have hit the net first in three of their last five competitive fixtures. Only Sporting scored first against the visitors on two occasions in that sequence.
With the Phocaeans needing at least one goal to take the tie to extra time, Roger Schmidt’s troops could end up landing the first blow.
- Marseille vs Benfica Betting Tip 1: First team to score - Benfica @ 2.07 with Supabets
Putting up a fight
Having seven days to prepare for this clash isn’t the only positive for the home fans. Jean-Louis Gasset’s men have been near untouchable at their headquarters this season.
Only PSG have left with a win this term and the hosts haven’t tasted European defeat at the Velodrome in more than five years (W5, D3).
However, Benfica come with their own positive record of losing just two of their previous 15 away dates in Europe (W8, D5).
Even though the hosts have lost five games on the bounce across all competitions, they may put up a fight to prevent losing in front of their home faithful.
12 of Marseille’s last 16 games at home in continental football feature three goals or more. The hosts also average 2.27 goals per game in this season’s competition.
- Marseille vs Benfica Betting Tip 2: Double chance & over 2.5 goals - Marseille/ Draw & Yes @ 2.52 with Supabets
Late excitement
Just like last week, there could be goals on Thursday night. However, these might only come after the restart.
Four of Marseille’s last five Europa League fixtures produced goals on both sides in the second half, including the first leg in Portugal.
Since Benfica’s drop down into this competition, they’ve scored seven goals, five of which arrived in the second 45, suggesting this game could come to life in the latter stages.
- Marseille vs Benfica Betting Tip 3: Both teams to score in the second half @ 2.85 with Supabets