Matchday 12 of Ligue 1 sees Lens take on Marseille on November 23 at the Bollaert-Delelis Stadium. Lens vs. Marseille: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Referee: Eric Wattellier (France)
Matches – 6 (Ligue 1, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 24;
Average yellow cards per match – 4;
Red cards shown – 2;
Average fouls per match – 21;
Penalties – 0%.
Predicted lineups for Lens vs. Marseille
Lens (3-4-3): Brice Samba – Jonathan Gradit, Kevin Danso, Facundo Medina – Deiver Machado, Adrien Thomasson, Neil El Aynaoui, Przemysław Frankowski – Andy Diouf, David Pereira da Costa, Remy Labeau-Lascary.
Marseille (4-5-1): Geronimo Rulli – Pol Lirola, Leonardo Balerdi, Lilian Brassier, Quentin Merlin – Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Adrien Rabiot, Jonathan Rowe, Luis Henrique, Mason Greenwood – Neal Maupay.
Each team's lineup reflects their starting eleven in their previous match in this tournament.
Lens
The club ended a rough patch of two goalless defeats in Ligue 1 by defeating Nantes 3-2 in the last round. Notably, it was the first time this season that Lens scored more than two goals in a single match. However, even with the win, the team did not return to the European competition zone and currently sits in 8th place in the Ligue 1 standings, only behind 6th place due to additional factors. At home, Lens has not lost in 4 of their 5 matches this season (2 wins, 2 draws). They also boast the best defensive record at home, alongside PSG and Monaco, conceding only 4 goals.
- The team has avoided defeat in 12 of their last 14 matches in the French top division (5 wins, 7 draws).
- No more than 2 goals have been scored in 9 of Lens's last 11 Ligue 1 matches.
- At least one opponent failed to score in 6 of Lens's last 8 home matches in the league.
Marseille
In their previous Ligue 1 game, Marseille suffered a 1-3 defeat at home to modest Auxerre. This loss marked their third in the current season (6 wins, 2 draws) and dropped them one place down the standings. Now in 3rd place, Marseille trails the leader by 9 points. It's worth noting that the team has conceded 7 goals in their last 3 league matches. However, Marseille remains the best away team this season in Ligue 1 with 12 points, securing 5 wins (1 loss).
- Marseille has scored 18 of their 24 goals this season away from home, making them the best attacking away team in the tournament.
- At least 3 goals have been scored in 14 of Marseille's last 18 Ligue 1 matches.
- The team has scored at least twice in 6 of their last 7 away matches in this tournament.
Lens vs. Marseille: Match Prediction
Both teams were not at their best before the international break. Lens lost 2 of their last 3 matches in the French championship, while Marseille also suffered 2 defeats in the same span. While losing to PSG was not unexpected, the defeat to Auxerre in the last round was certainly unplanned. Marseille has been impressive in attack, scoring 24 goals in 11 Ligue 1 matches this season, the second-best tally after PSG (33). However, their defense has been a concern, conceding 15 goals in the current championship. In their last league match, Marseille allowed modest Auxerre to score three times.
Therefore, I don't expect them to keep a clean sheet in the upcoming match, especially considering that Lens rarely leaves their home pitch without scoring. The team has scored in 25 of their last 30 home Ligue 1 matches. But I also have no doubt about Marseille scoring, as they have been the top away scorers in this season's championship.
My prediction: Both teams to score – yes
PSG
Toulouse
AS Saint-Étienne
Montpellier
Reims
Lyon
Lille
Rennes
Nantes
Le Havre
Auxerre
Angers
Nice
Strasbourg
