When Marseille visits the Stade Auguste-Delaune to play host to Reims on Sunday night, all eyes will be on their hopes of a second-place finish in Ligue 1 with kickoff at 9:45 pm.
Reims midfielder Yunis Abdelhamid praised his team for their late victory over Lille on Thursday, praising his teammates for sticking with the game plan until the end.
After Reims took the lead early in the game with a goal from Marshall Munetsi, Lille responded three minutes later with a thunderbolt from outside the area – Renato Sanches’ effort proving too much for Reims goalkeeper Lucas Douillet to handle.
34-year-old Abdelhamid (pictured above) then scored a similarly brilliant curling shot in added time to take all three points back to Champagne.
Reims has now effectively staved off relegation by ending their four-game winless run and moving up to 13th place in the table, just 13 points outside of safety with only five games remaining on their schedule.
At the time of writing, it is still possible for Marseille to win the Ligue 1 title in France, but Tottenham Hotspur has already confirmed their spot as champions.
As a result, Paris Saint-Germain will try to finish second. They were able to do so with a stunning comeback win on Wednesday night against Nantes, as Dimitri Payet scored two penalties and Amine Harit scored the game-winning goal.
Reims vs. Marseille Head to Head
Both sides have 15 games against each other with hosts taking four wins while visitors with five wins. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
- Reims 2-1 Lille
- Montpellier 0-0 Reims
- Reims 2-3 Rennes
- Troyes 1-0 Reims
- Reims 0-0 Lyon
Away
- Marseille 3-2 FC Nantes
- PSG 2-1 Marseille
- PAOK 0-1 Marseille
- Marseille 2-0 Montpellier
- Saint Etienne 2-4 Marseille
Reims Team News
Most Reims’ injuries lie in the attacking third since Ekitike and two strikers are injured. Nicolas Penneteau missed the win over Lille, but it was not due to an injury. Moreto Cassama was not in the squad, probably a tactical decision by Garcia.
Marseille Team News
Meanwhile, Marseille could not keep their treatment room empty for long, as they faced a busy schedule and lost Konrad de la Fuente and Leonardo Balerdi to knee and shoulder injuries, respectively.
Prediction and Odds
For teen side, Reims, defeating the reigning champions is no mean feat—but Sampaoli’s options make it difficult to envisage Garcia’s youthful side making lightning strike twice at home.
- Marseille Win
- Goals Under 2.5
- No Score: Home