Olympique Marseille vs Shakhtar Donetsk Prediction and Betting Tips | February 22nd 2024
Olympique Marseille return to action in the Europa League as they play host to Shakhtar Donetsk in the second leg of the knockout-stage playoffs on Thursday.
Both sides know they must win here having played out a thrilling 2-2 draw in last week’s reverse leg at the Volksparkstadion.
Olympique Marseille failed to find their feet on Sunday as they suffered a 1-0 defeat against 10-man Stade Brestois in French Ligue 1.
Jean-Louis Gasset’s men have now failed to win their last seven games, losing three and claiming four draws, including the 2-2 draw with Shakhtar Donetsk in the first leg of their Europa League knockout-stage clash on February 15.
This poor run of results have seen Marseille drop to ninth place in the Ligue 1 table, just eight points above the relegation playoff spot.
Following last Thursday’s stalemate, Shakhtar Donetsk have gone three consecutive games without defeat, claiming one win and two draws since the 3-2 friendly loss to Velez on February 3.
However, Marino Pusic’s side have now failed to win their last two competitive outings, having lost 5-3 against Porto in the Champions League Group H clash on December 13.
While Shakhtar will be looking to return to winning ways, they have struggled for results on the road, where they are currently on a four-game winless run, losing twice and claiming two draws since November’s 1-0 victory at Dynamo Kyiv.
Olympique Marseille vs Shakhtar Donetsk Head-To-Head and Key Numbers
- This will be the fourth-ever meeting between the two sides, with Shakhtar Donetsk picking up two wins and one draw in their previous three encounters.
- Marseille have failed to win their last seven matches across all competitions, stretching back to a 1-0 victory over Thionville Lusitanos on January 7.
- Shakhtar Donetsk have lost just one of their last six competitve matches while claiming three wins and two draws since late November.
- Marseille are unbeaten in 15 consecutive home games, picking up nine wins and six draws since a 1-0 loss against Ajaccio in the final game of the 2022-23 campaign.
Olympique Marseille vs Shakhtar Donetsk Prediction
Marseille have been rock-solid at the Stade Velodrome, where they are yet to suffer defeat in all competitions this season. Buoyed by their home fans' support, we predict Gasset’s men will find their feet on Thursday and come away with the desired result.
Prediction: Olympique Marseille 2-1 Shakhtar Donetsk
Olympique Marseille vs Shakhtar Donetsk Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Marseille to win
Tip 2: Both sides to score - Yes (Both sides have scored in five of Marseille's last seven matches)
Tip 3: Over 10.5 corner kicks - No (There have also been fewer than 11 corner kicks in seven of the hosts’ last eight games)