Marseille vs Shakhtar Donetsk Match Analysis
Match Preview
Marseille will face Shakhtar Donetsk at the Orange Velodrome for the second leg of their Europa League knockout round playoff tie on Thursday night.
Les Olympiens let slip two one-goal leads to draw 2-2 with the Ukrainian champions in the first leg, marking Gennaro Gattuso’s second-last game in charge.
Following a disappointing 1-0 Ligue 1 defeat to Brest, where Les Pirates played with 10 men for the final half-hour, Gattuso has been relieved of his duties. Jean-Louis Gasset is set to take over for the remainder of the campaign.
Marseille is currently on a seven-match winless streak across all competitions, with their sole victory in 2024 coming against Thionville Lusitanos in the Coupe de France, a narrow 1-0 win.
Despite their recent struggles, Marseille remains unbeaten in 13 consecutive home matches at the Orange Velodrome, where they impressed during the Europa League group stage with nine goals in three games.
Shakhtar Donetsk, on the other hand, ended a two-month competitive break with a 2-2 draw against Marseille, having only played friendlies since their Champions League defeat to Porto in December.
With a week to prepare for their next match, Shakhtar will aim to build on their recent performance and continue their scoring streak against Marseille.
Europa League form
Marseille: DWWWLD
Shakhtar Donetsk: D
Prediction: Marseille 1-1 Shakhtar Donetsk
Considering Marseille’s managerial changes and Shakhtar’s recent form, we predict a Marseille win or draw.
Marseille has shown strength at home, remaining unbeaten in their Europa League home games this season.
The first leg produced over 3.5 goals, but we anticipate a tighter battle this time.
Both teams are likely to focus on solid defense rather than high-scoring affairs.
- Prediction: Marseille win or draw
To play it safe, we recommend betting on under 3.5 goals for this match.
- Betting Tip: Under 3.5 Goals
Possible Starting Lineups
Marseille: (4-3-3)
Blanco;
Clauss, Mbemba, Gigot, Merlin;
Ounahi, Kondogbia, Harit;
Ndiaye, Moumbagna, Aubameyang
Shakhtar Donetsk: (4-3-3)
Riznyk;
Konoplya, Rakitskyi, Matvienko, Azarovi;
Bondar, Stepanenko, Sudakov;
Zubkov, Sikan, Eguinaldo