Marseille, led by Roberto De Zerbi, will host Lens, who has been struggling, at the Stade Velodrome on Saturday in the match of the week.
Following a disappointing recent run, Lens may not qualify for European competition at all, while the hosts appear to be returning to the Champions League after a year away.
Marseille is expected to finish second behind resounding leaders Paris Saint-Germain in De Zerbi's debut season as manager, which would be a very amazing result.
Even though OM is currently an insurmountable 13 points behind the leaders, it will be crucial if they want to advance to the Champions League for the third time in more than ten years.
Marseille’s home form initially threatened to derail their ambitions this season, but they have turned things around impressively. After managing just 13 points from their first nine home games, they have now secured three consecutive victories at the Velodrome.
As a result, OM currently sit three points ahead of Nice, with a crucial six-point cushion over Monaco, who occupy the UCL playoff spot, and an eight-point lead over fifth-placed Lille.
Recovering from a heavy 3-0 loss to Auxerre was vital last weekend, and Marseille did just that with a 2-0 win over Nantes. However, they had to be patient, as Amine Gouiri and Mason Greenwood both found the net after the 70th minute.
With their recent form, Lens’ struggles, and a strong home record, Marseille fans will be optimistic about securing another victory. OM have now won their last two meetings against Lens, having previously endured three straight defeats in this fixture.
After breaking that losing streak with a home win last season and claiming a 3-1 victory in the reverse fixture, Marseille now have the opportunity to complete a league double over Lens for the first time in a decade.
A recent slump in form has seen Lens lose four consecutive matches, making their struggles appear increasingly dire. Manager Will Still is currently enduring the worst losing streak of his managerial career, a stark contrast to the club's previous consistency.
Lens had not suffered four straight defeats in nearly a decade, but this unwanted milestone was reached last weekend when they were shocked at home by relegation-threatened Le Havre. Despite taking an early 2-0 lead and later holding a 3-2 advantage after the hour mark, Still's side inexplicably collapsed, conceding a stoppage-time penalty to lose a seven-goal thriller.
This defeat has seen Lens drop to ninth place in the league, clinging to a top-half position only on goal difference. Their hopes of securing European qualification for a third consecutive season now seem all but over. With only the top six guaranteed European football, Lens find themselves six points adrift of that target. After failing to qualify for the Conference League earlier this season, the Blood and Gold faithful are eager to return to continental competition, especially following their memorable Champions League campaign last season.
