Marseille will look to keep a firm grip on their place in the top three when they welcome Strasbourg to the Stade Velodrome in Ligue 1 on Sunday.
Form, especially at home, has improved dramatically in recent weeks for Roberto De Zerbi's second-placed side, as they have opened up a healthy gap to the sides below.
Match preview
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An important 2-1 win away to Rennes last weekend maintained Marseille's spot in second, behind runaway leaders Paris Saint-Germain.
With 16 points in their last six Ligue 1 matches, OM are now five points clear of Monaco one place below them, but second place is the only realistic ambition now, with PSG seven points clear at the top.
Overall though, it has been a disappointing week, because Marseille were dumped out of the Coupe de France on Tuesday, losing on penalties to Lille at the Velodrome, despite taking all the momentum into the shootout after Luis Henrique's 96th-minute leveller.
Across the season, form at home has been problematic, with just 12 of their 36 points coming at the Velodrome, with no team in Europe's top leagues having such a disparity in their home and away results.
However, they have taken seven points from their last three home league games, including a demolition of Le Havre last time out, and a vital win over Monaco, so they have come a long way from the dramatic scenes that saw De Zerbi threaten to resign less than two months ago.
Fixtures get tricky very quickly for De Zerbi though, facing three in-form sides in their next three - Strasbourg first, before clashes with Nice and Lyon.
After a long spell of being dominant in this fixture, going 17 games unbeaten against Strasbourg before this season, Marseille were beaten 1-0 in Alsace back in September.
That extended Strasbourg's five-game unbeaten streak in this fixture, with the two previous campaigns serving up four draws between the two.
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For manager Liam Rosenior though, he will have his eyes set on ending a long wait for a victory at the Velodrome, because Strasbourg are still yet to win here in the 21st century, failing on 13 previous occasions - Marseille have not faced a club more often on home soil and not lost in that time.
You have to go back to 1997 to find the last Strasbourg win here, but Rosenior will feel his side is in the perfect condition to spring a surprise, having won their last three league games in a row.
Strasbourg have not won four straight Ligue 1 games for six years, and another win would see them claim more wins in the last four than they managed in the first 14 games of the season.
After a run of five games without a win, if their two successes in the Coupe de France are taken into account, Strasbourg are on a five-game winning streak, catapulting them up the Ligue 1 table, and earning them a spot in the last 16 of the cup.
While relegation fears have now been forgotten and European qualification is in their sights, Rosenior will know his side must improve from midweek, when they needed penalties to get past fifth-tier Thaon to advance in the Coupe.
Team News
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Marseille will be without Faris Moumbagna yet again as he continues to recover from an ACL tear, while Elye Wahi, Amine Harit and Geoffrey Kondogbia are all doubtful.
With many attackers out, they will look to December's Ligue 1 Player of the Month for inspiration again, as Mason Greenwood continues his excellent form which has moved him to the top of the scoring charts.
Luis Henrique is set to join him in the attack, but while he did score the late equaliser that forced penalties against Lille in midweek, he ultimately missed one as Marseille were knocked out.
Strasbourg were able to welcome Yoni Gomis back after a foot injury in the week, but Thomas Delaine, Sekou Mara, Dion Sahi and Caleb Wiley all remain sidelined.
Goalkeeper Alaa Bellaarouch also made a long-awaited return from injury, but it is likely he has now dropped to third choice, after not featuring in the cup in midweek despite heavy rotation.
The Coupe presented an opportunity for the aptly-named 17-year-old Rayane Messi to have a potential breakout moment in midweek, as he netted twice for Strasbourg at Thaon, but any inclusion here would be a surprise.
Marseille possible starting lineup:
Rulli; Murillo, Balerdi, Cornelius; Luis Henrique, Hojbjerg, Rongier, Rabiot, Merlin; Greenwood, Rowe
Strasbourg possible starting lineup:
Petrovic; Doue, Sarr, Doukoure, Diego Moreira; Bakwa, Diarra, Andrey Santos; Lemarechal, Emegha, Nanasi
We say: Marseille 3-1 Strasbourg
Home form has picked up after a dreadful start saw Marseille take just five points from their first five games at the Velodrome this season, and another success could be on the way.
Strasbourg are in excellent form, but the teams they have beaten recently have not been on Marseille's level, and their 28-year wait for a win here is set to go on.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Andrew Delaney
