Marseille vs Liverpool Prediction: Slot’s side spun around the Velodrome

Olympique Marseille can move level on points with Liverpool in the league phase of the Uefa Champions League on Wednesday (20:00 GMT, TNT Sports 1) by beating the Reds at the Stade Velodrome.

Below are my Marseille vs Liverpool predictions, supported by all the latest team news and match odds, ahead of this first meeting between the French and English sides since November 2008, when Steven Gerrard struck the only goal of the game at Anfield.

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Team News

Derek Cornelius (muscle) and Ruben Blanco (knee) are in the Marseille treatment room, while Nayef Aguerd, who suffered heartache with Morocco in the Africa Cup of Nations final on Sunday night, appears unlikely to play for Roberto De Zerbi's side on Wednesday.

Football Odds

The big news for Liverpool is that Mohamed Salah, who has been away on Afcon duty with Egypt since mid-December, is back with the Reds and has been named in Arne Slot's squad for Wednesday's game.

However, Ibrahima Konate, who reportedly missed Liverpool's open training session on Tuesday due to family reasons, hasn't been named in the 20-man travelling party, so Joe Gomez looks likely to partner Virgil van Dijk in the centre of defence at the Velodrome.

Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni (both knee) and Alexander Isak (leg) remain sidelined for the reigning Premier League champions.

Marseille vs Liverpool Odds

Marseille, who have won their last two European matches, are 11/4, or a 26.7% chance, to make it three league-phase wins in a row, with Liverpool priced at 19/20, implying a 51.3% probability of success, and the draw offered at 11/4.

Betfred's Price Boosts include Liverpool left-back Milos Kerkez To Be Carded at 4/1 (was 3/1).

Match Result - Marseille @ 11/4

The odds are way too respectful to Liverpool here, in my opinion.

Yes, the Reds beat Serie A leaders Inter Milan 1-0 at San Siro in their last European outing and held Premier League leaders Arsenal to a goalless draw at the Emirates Stadium earlier this month, but they’ve suffered five defeats on their travels this term, which includes a 1-0 loss at Galatasaray in their first European away outing.

Slot’s side are unbeaten in their last six away games (W3, D3), but the first of those was a 2-0 victory at relegation-threatened West Ham United, where they only scored their second goal in the second minute of added time, helped by an 84th-minute red card shown to Lucas Paqueta.

More recently, they triumphed 2-1 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where again, the referee’s cards did them favours. Xavi Simons was dismissed in the 33rd minute with the scores level, and despite going down to nine men in the third minute of second-half stoppage time, Spurs still nearly claimed a point, piling the pressure on in the dying embers.

Today's Football Fixtures

Liverpool have also looked uncertain at home, drawing 1-1 at Anfield with 19th-placed Burnley last Saturday, and they now take a daunting trip to the Velodrome, where Marseille have won eight of their 12 games (D2, L2) in all competitions this season.

Marseille’s second and most recent defeat on home soil was a 2-0 loss to FC Nantes in Ligue 1 on January 4, but they were kneecapped by two red cards, one in the 26th minute at 0-0, and another in the 56th minute at 0-1.

Reigning European champions Paris Saint-Germain were beaten 1-0 at the Velodrome on September 22, while the only English club to have visited the venue previously this season, Newcastle United, were bested 2-1 there on November 25.

Marseille warmed up for Wednesday with big wins at Bayeux (0-9) and Angers (2-5), which should have increased their confidence after that defeat to Nantes was followed by a penalty shootout defeat to PSG (2-2, 1-4 on pens) in the Trophee des Champions four days later.

Player to Receive a Card - Alexis Mac Allister (LIV) @ 11/4

Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister received five yellows in eight Champions League appearances (seven starts) last season. Two of those bookings came against a French team, LOSC Lille and PSG.

This term, the 27-year-old, who starred at previous club Brighton & Hove Albion under current Marseille head coach De Zerbi, has picked up one caution in six games (three starts), averaging 1.1 fouls per 90 minutes.

On Wednesday, he will likely be in a midfield battle with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Arthur Vermeeren, averaging 1.7 and 1.1 fouls won per 90, respectively.

Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni was booked for upending Hojbjerg in the first round of fixtures, while in gameweek five, Newcastle duo Dan Burn and Anthony Gordon were shown yellows for fouling the Dane and his midfield partner, Vermeeren, respectively.

Mac Allister could be the next player to go into the book for an unfair challenge on either Marseille player.

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We will be Top Price on Liverpool to beat Marseille with selected bookmakers using Oddschecker for the comparison. (Available from 09:30 Wednesday).

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