Matchday: LENS-MARSEILLE (today at the Bollaert)

By: Xavier | August 1st, 2009

For its final preparatory match before the resumption of the league campaign, Lens is facing the big favorites to win Ligue 1 in 2009-10, Olympique de Marseille (01-08-2009 from 20:00 until 22:00
01-08-2009 on 10:51).

After a second place finish last season, l’OM has spent over thirty-nine million euros (twenty-seven million in sales) in the transfer market to recruit Gonzalez (18 million), M’bia (12 million), Diawara (6 million), Abriel (2.5 million), Andrade (500 000). The club has also recruited Spain international Fernando “el moro” Morientes, former PSG stalwart Edouard Cisse (free transfer), former Lens skipper Cyril Rool (Nice) as well as Argentine international Gabriel Heinze from Real Madrid (final details remain unknown).

Faced with this formidable squad, Lens pales in comparison. With recruitment and payroll being supervised by the DNCG, the descent and subsequent promotion from Ligue 2 has depleted the once formidable club and has limited recruitment to three players including the talented Brazilian Eduardo (Guingamp), Tunisian international goalkeeper Hamdi Kasraoui, and Moroccan international Issam el-Adoua (Wydad Casablanca).

Coach Jean-Guy Wallemme has selected 19 players for the match. The first eighteen are those that emerged during the first five weeks of training. The big surprise concerns the nineteenth man: Aruna “danger man” Dindane. Forced onto the transfer list by economic necessity, the Ivory Coast international star had not been summoned for the previous match at Vichy. If Aruna is not transferred in the coming days, will he be heading to Bordeaux for next sunday’s curtain raiser? The most notable names left out of the group once again are Ivory Coast international Kanga Akalé and the gifted Sidi Keita both of which are being moved for financial reasons.

Le groupe lensois : Kasraoui, Runje ; Chelle, Demont, El Adoua, Laurenti, Ramos, Yahia ; Hermach, Jemaa, Kovacevic, Milovanovic, Sow ; Boukari, Dindane, Eduardo, Joseph-Monrose, Maoulida, Monnet-Paquet.

Le groupe marseillais : Andrade, Mandanda ; Diawara, M’Bow, Rodriguez, Rool, Taiwo; Abriel, Cheyrou, Cissé, Kaboré, Mbia, N’Doumbou, Oseï ; Ben Arfa, Brandao, Koné, Niang, Valbuena.

Streaming live at:

http://myp2p.eu/broadcast.php?matchid=44623&part=sports