Preview: Lille vs. Marseille - prediction, team news, lineups

Reigning champions Lille welcome Marseille to Stade Pierre-Mauroy on Sunday as they look to continue to move up the table.

The visitors, meanwhile, will be aiming to get back on track after an impressive start to their Ligue 1 campaign this year has faltered in recent games.

Match preview

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Last season's champions produced a stuttering start to their title defence, with three losses and two draws in their first six games.

This led to questions about manager Jocelyn Gourvennec - who was seen by many fans as an unconvincing appointment before the season even began - but he has perhaps begun to find his feet in the Lille dugout with back-to-back league victories.

A 2-1 victory at home to Reims was followed up by another win with the same scoreline away at Strasbourg, courtesy of a goal in each half by the tenacious Jonathan David.

That has moved Les Dogues up into the top half and, while a defence of their title already looks unachievable with a 13-point margin to leaders Paris Saint-Germain, they can now push on towards the European spots.

There was a bump in the road in terms of their momentum during the week, however, as they lost 2-1 in the Champions League to Red Bull Salzburg, with a Burak Yilmaz goal proving to be simply a consolation, which leaves them bottom of Group G after two games.

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After a strong start to their campaign, Marseille will be eyeing their upcoming opponent's spot in Europe's premier competition for next season.

A run of four wins from their first five games left Jorge Sampaoli's side looking like potential challengers to PSG, but a draw and a loss in their last two has suddenly seen them 10 points back, albeit with a game hand.

Both Lens and Marseille came into last weekend's game on the back of a disappointing result, but it was Franck Haise's men who edged a five-goal thriller despite Marseille's home advantage.

A ninth-minute penalty and a Przemyslaw Frankowski goal gave the visitors an early two-goal lead, only for Dimitri Payet to add two more to his tally for the season before half time.

It was Lens substitute Wesley Said who provided the winner in the 71st minute, though, which leapfrogged his side past Les Olympiens into second in the table, and Sampaoli will now potentially have to rebuild his side's confidence, which appeared to be lacking during their uninspired performance in a 0-0 stalemate with Galatasaray in the Europa League on Thursday night.

Team News

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Jonathan Bamba is fit again for Lille, having played in Wednesday's Champions League match, so will likely start on the left flank, with Jonathan Ikone on the other wing.

Right-back Zeki Celik should come back into the starting XI after not featuring in Salzburg, as part of a back four also including Jose Fonte, Sven Botman and either Reinildo or Gabriel Gudmundsson at left-back.

Renato Sanches remains out with a knee injury, though, as does Orestis Karnezis.

Arkadiusz Milik was fit enough to came off the bench for 30 minutes in Marseille's Europa League game, but it may still be too soon for a place in the starting XI.

Sampaoli played a strong side against Galatasaray on Thursday so there may well be some rotation in the squad for this game.

Lille possible starting lineup:
Grbic; Celik, Fonte, Botman, Reinildo; Ikone, Yazici, Onana, Bamba; David, Weah

Marseille possible starting lineup:
Lopez; Saliba, Gonzalez, Peres; Lirola, Kamara, Gueye, De la Fuente; Under, Guendouzi; Payet

We say: Lille 2-2 Marseille

This has all the hallmarks of being an entertaining fixture and one which could go either way depending on which team produces the kind of performance they are truly capable of. Goals look likely and we fancy a lively 2-2 draw between the two sides.