Brighton & Hove Albion will look to return to winning ways when they take on Marseille in the UEFA Europa League at Stade Velodrome on Thursday.
The UEFA Europa League is back with Matchday 2 of the group stage. There are many eye-catching fixtures for Thursday’s extravaganza, with one of those featuring Group B bigwigs Marseille and Brighton & Hove Albion, who will clash at Stade Velodrome.
Marseille began the 2023/24 UEFA Europa League with an exhilarating contest, playing out a 3-3 draw against Ajax. But they have been dreadful in Ligue 1, winning only two of their seven games thus far to drop to 12th on the table. Marcelino thus lost his job, with Gennaro Gattuso replacing him. Meanwhile, the hosts are currently on a five-game winless run.
On the other hand, Brighton & Hove Albion were also a part of an eventful fixture on Matchday 1 but ended up on the losing side. AEK Athens beat them 3-2, making it a far-from-ideal start for the home side. That was one of their three defeats in their last four outings, with the latest being a 6-1 loss to Aston Villa.
Marseille and Brighton will face off in a competitive fixture for the first time on Thursday. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the maiden meeting between the two sides this midweek.
Team News & Tactics
Marseille
Running towards #OMBHA under mister Gattuso's watchful eye 👁️👁️ pic.twitter.com/Lg31rGgEC5
— Olympique de Marseille 🇬🇧 🇺🇸 (@OM_English) October 3, 2023
Gennaro Gattuso has greeted positive updates on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against Brighton & Hove Albion on Thursday, the Marseille manager will be bereft of the services of only one first-team player.
Geoffrey Kondogbia is the only absentee for the home side, with the experienced midfielder recovering from a groin injury. But Ismaila Sarr and Iliman Ndiaye have recovered from their respective issues to be available to take on Brighton.
Pau Lopez should take his spot between the sticks, with Marseille lining up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of him. Chancel Mbemba and Samuel Gigot will likely form the central defensive partnership, with Jonathan Clauss and Amir Murillo forming an attack-minded full-back pairing.
As for the midfield unit, Valentin Rongier, Jordan Veretout, and Azzedine Ounahi will form a dynamic partnership. While the three players are primarily defensive-minded, they will also provide the forward thrust from the middle of the park. Finally, the fit-again Ndiaye should return, joining Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Joaquin Correa in the attack.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Lopez; Clauss, Mbemba, Gigot, Murillo; Ounahi, Rongier, Veretout; Ndiaye, Aubameyang, Correa
Brighton & Hove Albion
Unlike his counterpart in the Marseille dugout, Roberto De Zerbi has a few pressing issues hampering his preparations ahead of the trip to Stade Velodrome. The Brighton & Hove Albion manager will be without four first-team players on Thursday.
Pascal Gross is the most notable absentee, with the German midfielder recovering from a muscle injury. He accompanies James Milner (knock), Jakub Moder (knee), and Julio Enciso (knee) on the sidelines. In addition, Pervis Estupinan is out for “a long time”, with De Zerbi revealing the bad news during his pre-match press conference.
Inside training: our #OMBHA prep is done. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/lgfpYTrJIO
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) October 4, 2023
Estupinan’s absence means Tariq Lamptey should play as a makeshift left-back for the foreseeable future. The former Chelsea defender will likely join Joel Veltman, Lewis Dunk, and Igor in the backline, with Jason Steele taking his place between the sticks.
Bobby Gilmour and Mahmoud Dahoud should pair up in the double pivot in the middle of the park. The duo will add steel to the midfield unit, looking to keep things tight in the centre of the pitch. Their presence will also enable the offensive quartet to express themselves freely.
Speaking of the attack, Joao Pedro should spearhead the Brighton attack against Marseille, with Ansu Fati playing behind him. Finally, Solly March and Kaoru Mitoma will be the two wide attackers for the away side.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Steele; Veltman, Dunk, Igor, Lamptey; Gilmour, Dahoud; March, Fati, Mitoma; Pedro
Key Stats
- Marseille have won just one of their last 15 meetings with Premier League opposition (D2 L12). They are without a win in their most recent ten (D2 L18), losing the last six in a row.
- Thursday’s fixture will be the first meeting between an English and a French club in the UEFA Europa League group stage since 2017/18 when Lyon beat Everton home and away.
- Marseille have won just one of their last 16 UEFA Europa League group-stage games (D8 L7), a 1-0 victory over Lokomotiv Moscow.
- After their 3-2 defeat to AEK Athens on MD1, Brighton & Hove Albion can become only the third English club to lose both of their first two matches in major European competition, after Nottingham Forest in the 1961/62 Fairs Cup and Aston Villa in the 1975/76 UEFA Cup.
- After his double against Ajax on matchday one, Marseille’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has now scored 26 Europa League goals, the joint-second most (level with Artiz Aduriz), behind only Radamel Falcao (30).
Prediction
Evan Ferguson
Starts have eluded Evan Ferguson this season despite scoring a scintillating hat-trick ahead of the previous international break. But the teenage sensation is seemingly behind Joao Pedro and Danny Welbeck in the pecking order for strikers at Brighton & Hove Albion.
He will unlikely make the starting eleven on Thursday, but he should be eager to make his mark when he appears off the bench. Ferguson has the quality to trouble the Marseille defence in the second half. And an impressive performance will help him make a case for inclusion as a starter this coming weekend against Liverpool.
Prediction
Marseille 2-3 Brighton & Hove Albion
Marseille and Brighton & Hove Albion do not have much in common. But both teams tend to concede cheap goals due to a lack of defensive structure. That thus sets up an intriguing clash between two teams who should ship a few goals on Thursday.
Brighton & Hove Albion have quality in their reserves, at least in the offensive unit. That tips the scales in favour of the visiting team, who should pip Marseille by the odd goal in five. The Hard Tackle predicts a closely contested encounter, which should end in a 3-2 win for Roberto De Zerbi and his charges.
