Marseille Lens Preview: De Zerbi Seeks A Measured Response After Liverpool Setback

Marseille turn back to Ligue 1 under pressure, needing a strong response against leaders Lens after the 3-0 defeat to Liverpool left Roberto De Zerbi’s side 19th in the 36-team Champions League league

phase and still chasing both domestic momentum and European progress.

De Zerbi’s team remain in contention for the Champions League play-offs, as a win over Club Brugge in their final league phase match will secure qualification, yet attention first shifts to Stade Velodrome, where Marseille trail surprise pacesetters Lens by eight points in the Ligue 1 table.

Lens arrive in Marseille one point above defending champions Paris Saint-Germain, while Opta’s supercomputer gives Marseille only a 0.9% chance of taking the Ligue 1 title, though victory on Saturday would cut the gap to five points and tighten a race that also features PSG’s persistent threat.

De Zerbi stressed the scale of the challenge and the opportunity against Pierre Sage’s leaders, saying: "They are a team that deserves to be at the top of the table, De Zerbi told reporters. We have the qualities, sometimes we show them, sometimes less so. It's up to us to play the game the right way. If we win, we'll be back to within five points. That's what we're aiming for in tomorrow's match. If we win, we'll be five points behind with all the matches still to play. Three points against the leaders. To make up for Wednesday's poor performance and prepare for the next game, which will be decisive. "

To strengthen the title push before facing Lens, Marseille presented two recruits to supporters, with Arsenal prospect Ethan Nwaneri joining on loan for the rest of the season and Quinten Timber signing permanently from Feyenoord, where Timber featured heavily this campaign and earned a reputation as a productive midfielder.

Timber, twin brother of Arsenal defender Jurrien, contributed six goal involvements in 17 Eredivisie matches, with only Anis Hadj Moussa on eight, Sem Steijn on nine and Ayase Ueda on 19 recording more, and Timber made clear that trophies remain the priority by stating: "That's a long answer, Timber said when asked about his ambitions. I spoke with the coach, he told me about the team, that he wanted to win every competition. We're going to play against the leaders, we want to win everything. I'm going to push my team-mates to win games, that's my mentality and that of the players who are already here. "

De Zerbi underlined Timber’s immediate importance before the Lens match, explaining: "He's ready to start because he's been playing all the time, De Zerbi added. I expect him to be a quality midfielder who can deliver in terms of both quality and quantity. He's arrived with enthusiasm. He's a very important player. "

Marseille vs Lens Ligue 1 preview: head-to-head record and prediction

History in this fixture leans towards Lens since promotion in 2020-21, with Marseille losing seven of 11 Ligue 1 meetings, winning three and drawing one, while also failing to score in three of five home league games against Lens in that period, matching their previous 46 top-flight home clashes combined.

Despite this record and Lens’ current lead, the analytic model indicates a narrow edge for the hosts, and the match prediction is listed as MARSEILLE WIN, reflecting both Marseille’s attacking output under De Zerbi and home advantage at Stade Velodrome.

Opta’s projected probabilities for the Marseille vs Lens Ligue 1 fixture are shown below, highlighting a tight contest but with Marseille favoured to claim three points on Saturday.

Outcome	Opta win probability
Marseille	46.7%
Draw	24.6%
Lens	28.7%

Marseille vs Lens Ligue 1 preview: key players and attacking threat

Marseille’s main attacking reference against Lens is Mason Greenwood, who leads the Ligue 1 scoring chart with 12 goals this season yet has struggled against the division’s current top eight, managing only one goal in 526 minutes against those opponents so far.

That solitary goal against top-eight rivals did come versus Lens in October, though Marseille still slipped to a 2-1 defeat, and Greenwood, who failed to score against Liverpool, now looks to extend league form while improving output in high-level domestic matches.

Since De Zerbi took charge, Marseille average 2.2 goals per Ligue 1 game, which is the highest figure for any Marseille manager in the last 50 years in the competition, considering a minimum of five matches, underlining the attacking intent that will again target Lens’ defensive line.

Lens will rely heavily on Mamadou Sangare to restrict Marseille’s chances near goal, as Sangare has attempted 51 tackles and won 32 in Ligue 1 this season, more than any other player in both categories, marking the midfielder as a crucial shield in front of the defence.

Marseille vs Lens Ligue 1 preview: Lens form and wider context

Lens travel to Marseille with 43 points from 18 Ligue 1 matches this 2025-26 season, built from 14 wins, one draw and three defeats, and excluding PSG, that tally has only been matched or exceeded at this stage in the last 40 seasons by Lyon in 2005-06 and 2006-07 and Nice in 2016-17.

This Lens side also ride a four-match winning streak away from home in Ligue 1, currently the longest active run in the division and equalling the best away sequence in the club’s top-flight history, adding another layer of difficulty for Marseille despite the atmosphere at Stade Velodrome.

Marseille enter the Lens clash after "two difficult days", as De Zerbi described, still bruised by defeat to Liverpool yet able to reduce the gap to five points and restore belief in both the Ligue 1 title race and upcoming Champions League play-off push if three points are secured against the current leaders.