Marseille, who have been the most successful side in Ligue 1 since the league restarted, will be aiming to extend their streak of seven consecutive wins at the Stade Velodrome when they take on Monaco, who have also been in good form with ten points in their last four matches.
With 42 points, Igor Tudor’s team is in a good position to compete in European competitions in the second half of the season, only two points behind Lens for second place and five points behind the leaders, Paris Saint-Germain.
It has been a frustrating couple of weeks for Monaco, but Philippe Clement’s men took out those frustrations on Ajaccio last weekend, winning 7-1, their largest margin of victory in the top flight. They have conceded multiple strikes in three of their last four road games in Ligue 1, though they have found the back of the net in 12 successive matches in all competitions. Below are some stats looking at the likelihood of the outcome of this match.
Overall performance in Ligue 1 this season
The above viz shows the percentile rank of Marseille in attacking, defensive, and possession stats compared to other teams in Ligue 1. We can clearly observe that they are ranked at the top in attacking stats, especially for expected goals and shots per 90. They are also at the top for entries into the opposition’s penalty area per 90. Defensively, too, they are performing well in their game in terms of high-pressure success rate and recoveries per 90.
Monaco’s overall season
The above viz shows the percentile rank of the team in comparison to other teams in Ligue 1. It can be observed that Monaco are well ranked in the division. They are performing well in attack, with plenty to show for it. In terms of defence, Monaco are successful in putting high pressure on opponents. In the possession department, they are not able to maintain plenty of possession but are compensating in terms of key passes and final third entries.
Both teams in front of the goal
Marseille are currently in third place in the 2022–23 French Ligue 1, with 42 points from 19 matches played. They have scored 35 goals (33.87 xG) and conceded only 16 goals (20.2 xGA). They have scored most of their goals from around the six-yard box. They have also managed to take quite a few shots on target from outside the box. They are successful in taking shots from hazardous locations inside the penalty box, which raises their xG. Marseille have an average xG of 2.05 this season and an average of 39% shot accuracy, taking 12.95 shots per 90 minutes.
Monaco are currently in fourth place in the 2022–23 French Ligue 1, with 37 points from 19 matches played. They have scored 42 goals (30.92 xG) and conceded 26 goals (26.2 xGA). They have scored most of their goals from around the six-yard box. They have also managed to take quite a few shots on target from outside the box. They are successful in taking shots from hazardous locations inside the penalty box, which raises their xG. Monaco have an average xG of 1.91 this season and an average of 48.7% shot accuracy, taking 12 shots per 90 minutes.
Attacking efficiency
Marseille are ranked highly when it comes to their efficiency in attack and the above benchmarking shows where they stand currently in Ligue 1 as compared to other teams. They are currently at 24% counterattacking efficiency, which is the highest in the league, making 2.05 counterattacks per 90, with 43.4% of them ending in shots. They perform 28.95 positional attacks per 90, with 25.8% ending in shots. Marseille are in impressive form, and Monaco will have to defend smartly to prevent any lapses.
Monaco, on the other hand, creates 29.58 positional attacks per 90, with 23.7% ending in shots. They are currently at 16% counterattacking efficiency, which is poor in the league, making 2.16 counterattacks per 90, with 36.6% of them ending in shots. Monaco are among the top ten teams in the league in terms of efficiency in positional attacks.
Winning defensive duels
Marseille are ranked high in Ligue 1 in terms of defensive duels won per 90 minutes, winning 59% of them. The team commits 14.37 fouls on average and takes part in 72 defensive duels per 90. The team makes 38.84 interceptions on average.
Monaco have not had a great ride in defence in Ligue 1 this season. Their defence has been poor and ranks last in the league in terms of winning defensive duels; they have conceded 26 goals. Monaco gives up 13.16 fouls per match and makes 41.05 interceptions on average. Defensively, they take part in 75 duels with a 60.1% success rate.
Player in form
Ben Yedder has scored 11 Ligue 1 goals in 2022–2023, making him the side’s second-top league scorer, and registered two assists. Ben has 18 shots on target from a total of 23 and has scored 11 goals (3.27 xG). Ben averages 18 passes per game and has an 80% pass completion rate. All of his goals have come from inside and around the six-yard box. He averages 2.39 shots per 90 minutes with 76% accuracy. He will be a huge threat for Marseille and has the ability to turn the game in his side’s favour.
Team News
For Marseille, Clauss is doubtful because of a groin injury.
Monaco striker Wissam Ben Yedder became the first player in Ligue 1 this season to score a hat trick on two occasions with three versus Ajaccio; Breel Embolo notched a brace in that encounter, and both of them might get the call-up to start against Marseille. Whereas Martins is unlikely to see the field in this one because of a calf strain, Kevin Volland is back training but might not be ready this weekend as he is recovering from a rib injury, while Mohamed Camara will be suspended.
This should be an exciting match between two sides in good form, with Marseille looking to extend their winning streak at home and Monaco looking for redemption for their poor run of form in recent weeks. With both teams fighting for European qualification, this game could end up being decisive in the race for the top spots in Ligue 1.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
