Preview: Olympique de Marseille Host Upstart Auxerre

Olympique de Marseille will be looking to win its second straight contest on Friday night when it hosts AJ Auxerre at the Stade Vélodrome.

Marseille are coming off a 2-1 win over FC Nantes last weekend and will look to hold onto their second-place spot in the Ligue 1 table. Despite the away win, manager Roberto De Zerbi spoke at his press conference and wants his team to continue to improve, especially on the attacking end.

"We need to be better at taking set pieces. It’s difficult to train for that, but we can improve. Scoring 23 goals in 10 games is good, but not enough. We need to have more control over the game. We conceded two chances in the first half against Nantes. We need to score more and endure less."

"The hierarchy remains the same. I make my decision before the games, and doing it afterward is easier. Between [Elye] Wahi and [Neal] Maupay, the hierarchy is the same."

"I like Wahi's qualities. Maupay has more experience. There’s an age difference. The No. 9 has to know how to score but also press and play. We’re not intense enough in this pressing throughout the 90 minutes."

OM will need the boost in their attack to defeat the surprising AJA, who aren't struggling despite being a newly promoted side this 2024-25 season. Auxerre are currently 10th in the Ligue 1 table with 13 points and trail Olympique Lyonnais by two points for the UEFA Europa Conference League spot for next season.

Christophe Pélissier and his team are on a three-match unbeaten streak, and even though they're currently in excellent form, he knows the challenges of trying to secure a positive result at the Stade Vélodrome.

"Playing at the Vélodrome, the players are not able to communicate easily, but it's a real pleasure to be in such an incredible atmosphere and stadium... [On Friday], we want to show what we're capable of. Olympique de Marseille are a strong team that are coming together, so we'll need to step up and give it our all."

These two clubs will be looking to head into the upcoming FIFA international break on a positive note and should provide Ligue 1 fans with a thrilling contest to kick off another matchday.

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