Auxerre Vs Marseille

This Saturday night, Ligue 1 action unfolds at Stade de l'Abbe Deschamps, where Auxerre will face off against a high-flying Marseille side. The match will see one of the league's strongest home teams go up against a formidable away side, with Auxerre’s solid performances on home turf proving vital in keeping them above the relegation zone.

With 20 points secured at home compared to just five in away fixtures, no team in Ligue 1 this season has displayed a more significant contrast in form than Auxerre. Meanwhile, Marseille stands out as one of the few teams that have performed better on the road. Their record includes a meager 19 points accumulated at the Velodrome, whereas they have collected 27 points from away fixtures—a figure equaled only by Paris Saint-Germain.

Despite their home struggles, Marseille displayed dominance last weekend by thrashing Saint-Etienne 5-1 at the Velodrome. This emphatic victory marked their third consecutive league win and brought their goal tally in the current campaign to 50. Such a prolific attacking performance has not been seen at the club since the 1970-71 season, when they also netted 50 goals in their first 22 matches.

Marseille’s attacking prowess has placed them among the elite clubs of the 21st century, becoming only the fourth team to achieve the 50-goal milestone this early in a Ligue 1 season. This has allowed them to establish a six-point lead over Nice and Monaco, both of whom are chasing them in the table. While head coach Roberto De Zerbi may have conceded that catching PSG, who sit ten points clear at the summit, is an insurmountable task, securing automatic qualification for the Champions League in his debut season would still be a commendable achievement.

Over their last 11 league games, Marseille has suffered just one defeat, accumulating 26 points in the process. With no domestic cup ties or European commitments to divert their attention, they can fully focus on consolidating their position as the second-best team in France. However, they will be particularly motivated in this fixture to avenge their November defeat against Auxerre, where they suffered a 3-1 loss at the Velodrome—a match that remains Auxerre’s sole away win this season.

For Christophe Pelissier, this presents an opportunity to etch his name in Auxerre's history. If his team manages to complete a league double over Marseille, he will join the legendary Guy Roux as the only Auxerre manager to have achieved that feat. Roux last accomplished this remarkable milestone in the 1987-88 season.

However, Auxerre’s recent form suggests that such a triumph will not come easily. The team is currently enduring a ten-game winless streak, marking their worst run of results in 13 years. Nonetheless, many of those matches have ended in draws, and they remain unbeaten in nine consecutive home fixtures. The primary concern is their tendency to settle for a stalemate—each of their last five home games has ended in a draw. If they share the spoils once more this weekend, they will match the club’s longest-ever streak of consecutive home draws, set back in 2010.

Last weekend’s outing away at Brest saw Auxerre let a lead slip twice in an exciting 2-2 draw, ultimately costing them two valuable points. Despite their struggles, they remain in a relatively comfortable 12th place, maintaining a safe distance from the relegation battle. However, their hopes of securing a spot in European competitions have significantly diminished, particularly after their promising early-season form hinted at an ambitious campaign.

With both teams having contrasting aspirations—Marseille aiming for Champions League football and Auxerre striving to maintain their top-flight status—this encounter is set to be a fascinating clash. Marseille will be determined to extend their impressive away record, while Auxerre will look to capitalize on their strong home form to break their winless streak and pull off another surprise against their highly-rated opponents.