Marseille vs Strasbourg — Tips & Analysis

Marseille -0.5: Marseille are a different team at home, and that is what this pick is built on. They took 5 wins, 3 ties and 1 loss at the Velodrome last season, scoring just over 2 goals a game. On the road in the same run they won twice, lost five times and barely scored at all. Strasbourg travel without their centre forward Panichelli, and Chilwell, Doukoure and Godo are missing too. That is a big chunk of the away side out on opening night. Marseille should control long spells through Paixao and Gouiri and lead by the hour mark. The doubt sits at the back. Balerdi is out, Timber is suspended, and Bruno Genesio takes his first competitive game as manager. Strasbourg get one clear opening and take it, so a 2-1 looks like the likeliest score. That is a narrow home win, and it is enough for us. Now the honest part. These two tie far too often for comfort. 10 of the last 19 meetings finished level, and the last five were 2-2, 2-1, 1-1, 0-1 and 1-1. Marseille have to actually win this game. Both squads have also gone 96 days without a competitive game, so opening day rust is a real worry. We still think Marseille have too much for this Strasbourg side.