Marseille vs Reims prediction: FRANCE: Ligue 1 betting tips on match 2024-08-24 18:45.
[p]Roberto De Zerbi could not have dreamt for a better start to life as Marseille manager as his new side found themselves 3-0 up after 31 minutes before returning from Brest with a 5-1 victory last weekend. Considering they ended last season 11 points behind their UEFA Champions League bound opponents, optimism is likely to be sky high ahead of the visit of Reims, who finished below OM, to the Stade Vélodrome on Sunday.[/p]
[p]With no European football for the first time since the 2019/20 campaign, De Zerbi will be expected to deliver an improvement on last season’s eighth-placed finish, and the Italian will be hoping his side can maintain their home record from 2023/24 (W10, D6, L1) which saw only Lille pick up more league points in front of their own fans.[/p]
[p]It was Lille who inflicted a 2-0 opening day defeat on Reims last Saturday as manager Luka Elsner got his reign off to a losing start after his summer arrival from Le Havre. The Slovenian will need his players to show greater discipline in this match after Amadou Koné was sent off in the 15th minute with his side going on to concede during injury time of both halves.[/p]
[p]After visiting Marseille in Round 1 of the last two seasons, an August trip to the south coast is nothing new for the Red and Whites, however they are looking to avoid a third successive defeat in the fixture! You’d need to go back to 2019, again on the opening day, to find the last time Reims returned with three points, but that is their only success across their last nine away H2Hs.[/p]
[p]Players to watch: It took just three minutes for Mason Greenwood to score on his competitive debut for Marseille and he also slotted home a penalty after 31 minutes last weekend, meaning the former Manchester United striker has scored nine of his last 12 before half-time! Midfielder Marshall Munetsi had an opening goal disallowed when Reims beat Marseille 1-0 at home in May but the Zimbabwean has contributed an assist to the first goal of the game in each of the previous two H2Hs.[/p]
[p]Hot stat: Reims have kept a clean sheet in just one of their last 21 Ligue 1 away matches (W5, D5, L11). [/p]
[p][i]Written by Tom Penn[/i][/p]