Reims vs Marseille

On Saturday evening Marseille seeks an important victory against Reims who have remained undefeated in Europe's elite league competition for the longest period.

Roberto De Zerbi's team suffered a defeat in Le Classique that pushed them down the table where they now compete with other teams for Champions League spots. This result allowed Paris Saint-Germain to get closer to securing the league title for this season.

The recent three-match losing streak has pushed Marseille into an intense fight with other teams for the fourth position which PSG originally seemed set to claim in the standings.

правиан defeat in Paris followed their 3-0 away loss against Auxerre making it their second consecutive away defeat since the start of the season.

Avoiding three or more goals in three successive Ligue 1 away matches will be their primary defensive goal to stop the record-breaking sequence dating back more than four decades.

The visitors need to avoid losing three matches in a row this season because Monaco and Nice are both closing the gap with four points behind and their next opponents Lens defeated them on their home ground two weeks ago.

The fourth-place position of Lyon creates a scenario where they will certainly not secure a Champions League spot because they trail their Actual rivals by only four points.

Marseille maintains favorable expectations to reach the top four position but must generate better results against teams now placed in the bottom four of the standings.

Reims have struggled against Marseille in Ligue 1 this century, with only PSG inflicting more defeats on them. However, in their earlier meeting this season, Reims managed a 2-2 draw at the Velodrome, thanks to a late equalizer from Mason Greenwood that rescued a point for OM.

Last season, Reims dealt a blow to Marseille’s European ambitions with a 1-0 victory at the Stade Auguste-Delaune, a result the visitors will be eager to avoid repeating this time around.

Yet, given Reims’ dismal recent form, another upset seems improbable. The team is currently on the longest winless streak in Europe’s top five leagues, having gone 15 matches without a victory since their 3-0 win over Le Havre in early November.

Former manager Luka Elsner was dismissed due to the poor run, but his replacement, Samba Diawara, has so far failed to reverse their fortunes.

Although Le Havre and Saint-Etienne have demonstrated that they are more capable of achieving results than they have in recent weeks, Reims begins the weekend just two points above the playoff place and three points clear of inevitable relegation.

The fact that Reims might be in a cup final in a few weeks if they defeat fourth-tier Cannes in the Coupe de France midweek adds even more significance to their current run. In the meanwhile, all attention will be on this crucial match at home.