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Marseille make the long trip across the width of France to Brittany and take on newly-promoted Lorient at the Stade du Mustoir on Saturday in Ligue 1 action.
After seven rounds of the season, Lorient have had a tough time of it in their return to Ligue 1, with four losses in seven resulting in them being 17th in the table. However, Lorient are four points above the relegation zone and will look to disrupt sixth-placed Marseille's faltering title challenge even further.
Christophe Pellissier's side bounced back from the 3-1 defeat to Metz prior to the international break with a 3-1 win of their own, against last year's sixth-placed finishers, Stade de Reims.
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Pierre-Yves Hamel continued his scoring run with a goal on the hour mark, with goals from Yoane Wissa and Terem Moffi confirming the victory.
As for Marseille, they went into their UEFA Champions League fixture with an impressive 3-1 win over Bordeaux, with Florian Thauvin and Jordan Amavi shining.
However, Andre Villas-Boas' men came crashing down in the Champions League against Olympiacos, as former Marseille star Mathieu Valbuena created an injury time winner scored by Ahmed Hassan Koka to hand l'OM a 1-0 defeat.
Lorient vs Marseille Head-to-Head
Marseille have dominated this fixture over their unfancied opponents, winning five of the last 10, while Lorient have only managed two wins and three draws in that period.
The home side last defeated the visitors in 2015, although Marseille did the double over them in 2016-17, the last time Lorient were in Ligue 1, which included a 4-1 win for l'OM at the Stade du Mustoir.
Lorient form guide: L-D-L-L-W
Marseille form guide: D-D-D-W-L
Lorient vs Marseille Team News
Christophe Pellisier has a fully fit squad to choose from, with no injuries suffered in their previous game against Reims. Pierre-Yves Hamel and Terem Moffi ought to continue in attack, as Lorient may start most of the XI that defeated Reims. It ought to be an emotional moment for Laurent Abergel as he faces his boyhood club, with captain Fabien Lemoine likely to return in midfield in place of Trevoh Chalobah.
Injuries: None
Doubtful: None
Suspensions: None
Andre Villas Boas continues to be without Dimitri Payet, as the Frenchman serves his suspension after his red card against Lyon. Hiroki Sakai has already received three yellow cards in seven Ligue 1 games this season, and is on the verge of suspension.
AVB has a fully-fit squad to choose from, but given the tough outing at Olympiacos, may choose to rotate his squad. Michael Cuisance, Kevin Strootman and Boubacar Kamara may return to the midfield, while Yuto Nagatomo and Leonardo Balerdi may return to the defence. Valere Germain may be included, with Thauvin getting a much-needed rest.
Injuries: None
Doubtful: None
Suspensions: Dimitri Payet
Lorient vs Marseille Predicted Lineups
Lorient Predicted XI (4-4-2): Paul Nardi (GK); Houboulang Mendes, Julien Laporte, Andrew Gravillon, Jeremy Morel; Quentin Boisgard, Fabien Lemoine, Laurent Abergel, Yoane Wissa; Terem Moffi, Pierre-Yves Hamel
Marseille Predicted XI (4-4-2): Steve Mandanda (GK); Yuto Nagatomo, Duje Caleta-Carr, Leonardo Balerdi; Boubacar Kamara, Kevin Strootman, Morgan Sanson, Michael Cuisance; Valere Germain, Dario Benedetto
Lorient vs Marseille Prediction
It's hard to see past a win for Marseille here, despite the fact that they may be fatigued from their travels. Villas Boas has a deep squad to choose from, and Dario Benedetto ought to be firing on all cylinders against Lorient's fairly leaky defence. Thauvin may also be an option from the bench should things get hairy, but it's likely to be a comfortable win for the visitors.
Prediction: Lorient 0-2 Marseille
