Phoca’s squad must rebound from a difficult position to keep hope alive for a direct place in the UEFA Champions League.
The Orange Velodrome will host the encounter between Olympique de Marseille and Angers on Sunday, a pivotal clash that closes the 35th matchday of Ligue 1. Marseille arrives at this crossroads after a 2-1 defeat to RC Lens, ending their slim title chances with Paris Saint-Germain leading the table on 78 points and four games remaining.
Thus, the Olympians sit third in the table with 70 points, still dreaming of securing a direct Champions League berth and reasserting themselves as a force in French football with Alexis Sánchez playing a central role in that bid.
At Stade Bollaert-Delelis, the Chilean was involved in a contentious moment: after nine minutes, he took the ball away from defender Kevin Danso following a poor start and opened the scoring. Yet referee Clément Turpin ruled a foul by the Chilean and, after VAR review, canceled the goal, inciting the crowd’s anger as Seko Fofana and Loïs Openda seized the opportunity to put the visitors ahead. It is worth noting that the former Inter Milan forward, the top scorer for Le Phocéens in the league with 13 goals, played only the first half due to a physical issue, with Vitinha replacing him at halftime.
On the other hand, Alexandre Dujeux’s side has just suffered its fourth consecutive defeat after losing to AS Monaco at the Stade Jean-Bouin. Angers remains rooted at the bottom of the table with 14 points, facing relegation danger as the season nears its end.
Historically, both teams have met 47 times in this competition, with Marseille securing 20 wins (79 goals) against Angers’ 13 (67 goals). There have been 14 draws. The most recent head-to-head occurred on September 30, when Le Canebière celebrated a 3-0 victory, helped by goals from Jonathan Clauss, Luis Suárez, and Gerson.
Alexis Sánchez’s record with Olympique de Marseille – all goals for OM
The match between Marseille and Angers can be watched live on Star+ through its platform. Star+ offers both monthly and annual subscriptions, which can be purchased on the Star+ website. The service supports viewing on televisions, computers, mobile devices, tablets, and game consoles. [Goal]