Noelle Matthews
- Marseille v Monaco
- Saturday January 28, 2023, 15:00 ET
- At the Stade Velodrome, Marseille
Third takes on fourth on Saturday as Mediterranean rivals Marseille and Monaco meet at the Stade Velodrome and the home team looks like a good pick in the match betting market.
Who do Bettors Favor?
Checking out the best-rated online sportsbooks we can see that the bookies are favoring home team Marseille, though not by much. Marseille is considered the +120 favorite here, while the visitors are rated as a +215 chance and the draw is the underdog option at +270.
| Marseille v Monaco |  |  |  |
| Marseille | +118 | +121 | +110 |
| Draw | +281 | +265 | +270 |
| Monaco | +218 | +210 | +215 |
Marseille Targeting Top Two
Aside from a run of three consecutive defeats in October, this has been an excellent season for Marseille, at least domestically. It went undefeated through the first nine games of the campaign and signed off for the World Cup break with vital wins over Lyon and Monaco.
The resumption of Ligue 1 action has brought three more wins in a row, over Montpellier, Troyes and Lorient, and with two Cup wins also achieved this month, Igor Tudor’s team goes into this match with an eight-game winning streak as it targets the top two in the table.
Marseille’s success has been based on a solid defensive line, which rates as the third-best in the league, along with goal contributions from all areas of the team. Defenders and wing-backs combined have contributed 14 goals for Marseille this season, twice as many as the next-best team.
The Stade Velodrome, meanwhile, has become one of the toughest grounds to play at in European football. Marseille has won its last three home games in Ligue 1 by an aggregate score of 10-2 and has only lost once at home in the league all season – a narrow 1-0 defeat to second-placed Lens.
Monaco Poses Attacking Threat
Since the resumption of the domestic season, Monaco has been hard to predict. Back-to-back wins over Auxerre and Brest helped it to close the ground on the Champions League qualification spots, but this was followed by a shock exit from the French Cup and a 2-2 draw at Lorient.
Yet just when it seemed the momentum was going out of Monaco’s campaign, the team pulled off an impressive 7-1 home win against Ajaccio two weeks ago, in the process moving into the top four for the first time this season, though only on goals scored, ahead of Rennes.
The goals scored column is the most impressive aspect of Monaco’s season. It is the second-highest scorer behind PSG, with 42 goals, and it is clear that even when playing badly, Monaco poses an attacking threat that can unlock even the most stubborn defense.
The goals-against column remains the problem. Monaco has conceded 26 goals, ranking tenth in Ligue 1, and it has conceded 7 in four games since returning to action, including two against Ligue 2 Rodez. Fixing the defense will be key to Philippe Clement’s team’s chances of finishing in the top four.
Ligue 1 Betting Head-to-Head
In recent years these teams have both been competitive at the top of Ligue 1 and there is a symmetry to their head-to-head record over the last four seasons.
Both teams have won three games apiece, although unusually, the last three games between these clubs have all been won by the visiting team.
The latest match-up came back in November when Marseille took the lead through Alexis Sanchez, but Monaco scored twice to lead 2-1 after 72 minutes. A Marseille goal from Jordan Veretout on 83 minutes appeared to have earned the visitors a draw, but in the eighth minute of injury time, Sead Kolasinac scored a winner to give Tudor’s team a vital win.
Ligue 1 Betting Team News
Marseille’s Jonathan Clauss has been suffering from a groin strain and his return has been slated for ‘late January’ although this game may still come a little too soon. Eric Bailly, the on-loan Manchester United player is serving the fourth game of his seven-match ban for a high tackle in the cup game against Hyeres, while Amine Harit is still out of action due to a cruciate ligament injury.
The team news for Philippe Clement is relatively good. Although Kevin Volland is still missing for Monaco with a rib injury, the squad is close to full fitness. Mohamed Camara will miss the game due to his suspension for picking up another yellow card against Ajaccio. Wissam Ben Yedder was back in the starting lineup for that game and showed excellent form with a hat-trick so will lead the line again here.
Ligue 1 Match Betting Pick
Monaco’s goal-scoring ability means that it can never be written off and the recent record of visiting teams in this fixture certainly gives encouragement to Clement’s side.
That said, there isn’t much margin in Monaco’s price in the match betting market, particularly given its inconsistency in recent weeks. At these odds, Marseille’s all-around strength and greater reliability look like the better option in what could be an entertaining game.
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