Matchday: Lens-Marseille (Stade Félix Bollaert)

By: Xavier | November 28th, 2009

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A very difficult challenge awaits Lens today at the Stade Félix Bollaert as powerhouse Marseille arrive with a sense of great urgency. The club’s sporting director Jose Anigo has stated that this match is a must win if his club is to challenge for the Ligue 1 title this season.

The visitors enter the game with a lot of confidence, having drawn 1-1 at AC Milan in midweek in a result which keeps their slender Champions League hopes alive. Indeed OM were very unlucky to not have won the match as they thoroughly dominated Milan only to see some sure goals deflect off the very fortunate Milan post.

Anigo stated in the club’s official website, “I think we can have a good performance at Lens.
“We must, anyway, because of what we are trying to do, namely to win this championship.” Marseille should expect a difficult reception, as Lens fans seem to have come back to life after a short spell of positive results. “We’ll go in knowing that we’re playing in a stadium just like ours with a public that is completely behind their team,” he added. “This will give them strength, but we have the technical and physical qualities to achieve success.”

Lens meanwhile have won two successive matches following a five-match winless streak and currently sit in 16th place. Coach Jean-Guy Wallemme expects the club to be at their very best in order to emerge from the contest with points. He said: “It is a confrontation where we’ll have to be at our best, even better than usual.”

On the injury front Midfielder Geoffrey Doumeng is missing with a calf problem, while Issam El Adoua has been called up from the reserves. Nenad Kovacevic missed last weekend’s game and also training in the early part of this week. The Serbian international joined up with the rest of the squad on Thursday and should be fine today. There were slight doubts over both Razak Boukari and Eduardo, but both have shaken problems that saw them sidelined earlier this week.

MARSEILLE_NIANG_071009 OM are missing Julien Rodriguez who will be out for an extended period. Stephane Mbia is still nursing some injuries and is doubtful. And Lucho Gonzalez’s ankle injuries continue to hamper the Argentine who may not be available today.

Le Groupe Lensois: Kasraoui, Runje: Demont, Chelle, Laurenti, Ramos, Sartre, Yahia: Hermach, Kovacevic, Sow, Milovanovic, Roudet:Jemaa, Akalé, Boukari, Eduardo, Maoulida, Monnet-Paquet.

Le Groupe Marseillais: Mandanda, Andrade: Taiwo, Hilton, Rool, Bonnart, Heinze, M’Bow, Bocaly, Diawara: Ben Arfa, Valbuena, Cissé, Cheyrou, Kaboré, M’Bia, Lucho, Abriel: Brandao, Niang, Morientes, Koné.

Viewing Options: The game will be broadcast through Setanta Sports. Setanta is available in the United States through a subscription with Direct TV or Dish Network satellite providers. Also available throughout Europe free to air on Hotbird 8 satellites.

Streaming: http://www.myp2p.eu/broadcast.php?matchid=56242&part=sports