Marseille faces a battle for survival in the Champions League on Tuesday, needing to overcome a 1-0 deficit in the third qualifying round versus Panathinaikos.
Despite the first-leg loss, bookmaker William Hill still has the French giant as a slight favorite in the match-up, offering odds at 1.80 for Marseille to get through to the next round. The odds are at 1.91 for Panathinaikos to qualify for the playoff round.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: August 14th, 1:00 P.M. (EST)
Marseille had a very rough outing last week in Athens, finishing with only three shots and an expected goals value of 0.41. Geoffrey Kondogbia was sent off in the middle of the second half and then it was all about survival for OM. It was disappointing for the team to concede a late goal, but with the return leg being played at Stade Velodrome, Marcelino’s men should still fancy their chances of progressing.
After losing his debut as Marseille boss, Marcelino quickly bounced back with his troops by defeating Reims 2-1 in the opening Ligue 1 round. It was a much better performance from the team and should have the squad in good spirits ahead of Tuesday’s crucial match.
Panathinaikos hasn’t yet kicked off the new Greek league campaign, but the team also participated in the previous qualifying round in the Champions League and has already picked up some form and match practice. The Shamrock boasts two wins and one draw from the first three games of the season. With six goals scored, Ivan Jovanovic has seen his side be very prolific at the start of 2023-24 and will definitely be pleased about last week’s clean sheet as well.
The 20-time Greek champion gave up only one shot on target to Marseille in the opening leg, and the team will certainly have a great shot at qualifying if it manages to repeat the feat Tuesday.
Panathinaikos didn’t exactly play better than Marseille at Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium, also registering just one shot on goal, but the team was clinical with the chance as Brazilian veteran Bernard finished off a nice team move. With close to 50 UEFA games under his belt, the former Shakhtar Donetsk player boasts bags of experience in European football, and his presence is a great asset for a Panathinaikos team that is back in the Champions League after a seven-year absence.
