Marseille – AC Ajaccio : Preview & Prediction
Not many Marseille fans could have dreamed of such a start to the Ligue 1 season, as they are only one of three teams to remain unbeaten after nine rounds (G7, E2). New coach Igor Tudor has had an immediate impact, and with ‘Les Olympiens’ coming into this clash just two points behind Paris Saint-Germain at the top of Ligue 1 and after a 4-1 thrashing of Sporting CP in the UEFA Champions League in midweek, confidence is sky high for the Marseille side.
Marseille are now ten games unbeaten in the league (G8, E2) and, having lost just once at the Orange Velodrome since March, another home win here would certainly not be a surprise. A win would also see Marseille move into first place before PSG play this weekend, and they could take inspiration from the fact that they are unbeaten in their last four matches against newly-promoted Ajaccio, which yielded three wins and a draw.
A return to the top flight for the first time in eight years has translated into a miserable start to the season for Ajaccio, who find themselves at the bottom of the standings after picking up just four points from their first nine games (G1, E1, P7). While that win came away from home against Brest, the ‘Bears have long struggled in their away games in Ligue 1, emerging victorious in just two of their last 35 away games at this level (E13, P20).
Scoring goals has been the main problem for Olivier Pantaloni’s men, who have failed to score more than one goal in any of their Ligue 1 matches so far this season, so it’s no surprise that no team in the division has scored fewer than them (five). That continues a worrying trend for a shy Ajaccio, as they scored just 39 goals when promoted — fewer than any other team inside the top seven.
Players to watch: French international Jonathan Clauss has made an immediate impact for Marseille, contributing directly to three goals in his last league appearance (Goals 1, Assists 2). Ajaccio’s veteran midfielder Thomas Mangani will be hoping to spring a surprise, but the 35-year-old has just three career wins against Les Olympiens (E9, P7) despite previously scoring three goals against them.
Key stat: Marseille have lost just two of their last eight meetings with newly-promoted teams in Ligue 1 (G4, E2).
Marseille – AC Ajaccio : Betting Tips
Marseille – Win Odds: 1.35
