Having posted eye-catching wins to close out 2022, Montpellier HSC and Marseille commence the New Year with Sunday's Ligue 1 battle at the Stade de la Mosson.
La Paillade saw off Lorient 2-0 in their final fixture of the calendar year, while the visitors were in a merciless mood against Toulouse, storming to a 6-1 victory.
Match preview
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As the old saying goes for Montpellier, when the going gets tough, Teji Savanier gets going, as La Paillade's inspirational skipper played a pivotal role in ending his side's lengthy winless run at the home of surprise package Lorient on Thursday.
Aiming to end a seven-game streak without victory - one which cost Olivier Dall'Oglio his job - Montpellier took the lead within three minutes at Lorient courtesy of a sublime Savanier free kick before Elye Wahi's effort ballooned into the air off of Julien Laporte, who stood still alongside the rest of the Lorient backline as Wahi followed up to head home.
The Merlus defence all pointed fingers at one another as Wahi was left unchallenged to double his side's tally in the 22nd minute, confirming Romain Pitau's first win since taking charge, and Montpellier's predicament is far from alarming despite their dismal pre-World Cup form.
Indeed, Pitau's men enter 2023 sitting 12th in the rankings - four points clear of the relegation zone and a further three adrift of a top-half place, and their tally of 26 goals cannot be bettered by any other side in the bottom half.
Joy has been in short supply at the Stade de la Mosson for a while, though, as Montpellier can only boast three wins from their most recent 15 home games, while taking just one point from their last three top-flight contests at their headquarters.
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Arsenal fans as much as everyone else were left gob-smacked when Sead Kolasinac produced a silky ball roll before scoring Marseille's third goal against Toulouse, who succumbed to a scintillating attacking performance from Igor Tudor's side on Thursday night.
Dimitri Payet, Nuno Tavares, Valentin Rongier and Cengiz Under were also on target for Marseille, who also benefited from a comical Rasmus Nicolaisen own goal, and Branco van den Boomen's response from the spot for Toulouse led to the most muted of cheers from those in violet.
Picking up where they left off after securing back-to-back wins over Lyon and Monaco before the World Cup break, Marseille remain in the driving seat for Champions League football as they occupy third place in the rankings - two points clear of Rennes but still four behind Lens and 11 worse off than Paris Saint-Germain.
The October lull has not disrupted Les Olympiens' momentum by any stretch, and Tudor's side travel to Montpellier having scored at least twice in five of their last six Ligue 1 away games, albeit while conceding four in their most recent two trips to rival grounds.
Marseille and Montpellier renewed hostilities no fewer than three times last season, and Les Olympiens claimed a trio of victories - two in the league and one in the last 16 of the Coupe de France to extend their unbeaten run over La Paillade to seven matches.
Team News
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Only the injured Wahbi Khazri should be unavailable for Montpellier on Monday, as the ex-Tunisia international is dealing with a sprained ankle from his country's World Cup win over France and should not be back in training until after the visit of Marseille.
Pitau is working with a fully-fit squad otherwise and will likely keep faith with the same 11 players that began the match at the Stade du Moustoir, where Savanier made it five goals for the season and Wahi notched his seventh.
Savanier and Leo Leroy are both suspended for Montpellier's next match, which comes against Ligue 2 side Pau in the Coupe de France, but the pair are fine to feature here and will surely happily accept a one-game cup ban versus a lower-league team.
Over at Marseille, Amine Harit remains on the long road to recovery from his ACL injury, but he has a fellow midfield man alongside him in the treatment room in Matteo Guendouzi, who missed the demolition of Toulouse with an ankle injury.
The ex-Arsenal man will not be expected to return here, and Gunners loanee Nuno Tavares was supposed to start against Toulouse before coming down with a vomiting bug, meaning he was only fit enough to take part as a substitute.
Should the Portuguese feel completely better by Monday, he can expect to oust Kolasinac from the left-back spot in an otherwise settled starting lineup for Tudor, who may have to swap Eric Bailly for Samuel Gigot due to concussion.
Montpellier HSC possible starting lineup:
Omlin; Sacko, Esteve, Jullien, Maouassa; Ferri, Leroy; Nordin, Savanier, Mavididi; Wahi
Marseille possible starting lineup:
Lopez; Mbemba, Balerdi, Bailly; Clauss, Gueye, Rongier, Tavares; Under, Payet; Sanchez
We say: Montpellier HSC 1-3 Marseille
Overcoming a Lorient side on a slippery slope is one thing, but Montpellier's mettle will be tested to the extreme versus a Marseille team who possess a goal threat from all vicinities.
Tudor's prolific crop have developed a penchant for goal-laden performances away from home recently, and while La Paillade can feel optimistic about their chances of scoring, the firepower of Marseille should prove too hot to handle.
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Top tip
Ben Knapton
