Marseille's head coach, Roberto De Zerbi, has announced that team captain Leonardo Balerdi is set to return for the upcoming Ligue 1 match against Nice on Friday. Balerdi, aged 26, had been sidelined with
a calf injury for the last four games before the international break. During his absence, Marseille managed to secure victories in two of those matches.
Balerdi has played in ten matches across all competitions this season and is vying for a spot in Argentina's World Cup squad next year. He participated in seven games during the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers, where Argentina topped the table by nine points. De Zerbi expressed relief at Balerdi's return but acknowledged that injuries could hinder Marseille's ambitions this season.
Nice currently trails Marseille by eight points, sitting in ninth place after losing their last two Ligue 1 fixtures before the break. They have scored only 17 goals in 12 matches this season, which is fewer than any other team in the top half of France's top division.
Jonathan Clauss from Nice stands out as a player to watch. The former Marseille player has achieved more successful crosses per 90 minutes (2.4) than any other player with at least 300 minutes played in Ligue 1 this season. He has contributed one goal and two assists in nine league appearances so far.
For Marseille, Mason Greenwood has been notable for his penalty-taking prowess. He has taken five penalties this season across Europe's top five leagues, converting four of them. This ties him with Bayern Munich's Harry Kane for the most penalty goals scored.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝘀𝘀 pic.twitter.com/4ryfEEbtgD Olympique de Marseille (@OM_English) November 20, 2025
Match Prediction and Statistics
Historically, Nice has struggled against Marseille in Ligue 1, losing 59 times while winning only 30 and drawing 24 matches. Marseille recently secured back-to-back wins over Auxerre and Brest without conceding a goal. They aim to achieve three consecutive clean-sheet victories for the first time since August-September 2022.
Nice is experiencing a challenging period with three consecutive losses across all competitions—their longest losing streak since late 2020 when they lost five straight games. Despite this, Nice has won their last two home games against Marseille and could achieve three consecutive home victories against them for the first time in over three decades.
The probability of winning according to Opta suggests a higher chance for Marseille at 47.6%, compared to Nice at 27.9%, with a draw possibility of 24.5%.
