“Football: Marseille seeks to maintain second place while Lens aims to challenge Rennes”

The 29th day of Ligue 1 begins this Friday after almost two weeks of international break. Marseille, which opens the day by receiving Montpellier at the Vélodrome, wants to keep its place as runner-up.

But in its Vélodrome stadium, OM are struggling with three draws and four defeats in fourteen matches.

“It’s like playing the Champions League final every game,” explained daily The Team this week Marseille coach Igor Tudor. “And then, in this boiling stadium, come Strasbourg, Angers or Ajaccio. And what do their players say to each other? ”My God, today is magnificent, look at that, this public, this stadium, we can’t miss each other!” They are the match of the year, and that costs you points”.

Montpellier is better

This will still be the case on Friday (9 p.m.) against Montpellier (11th), once again solid since the return of Michel Der Zakarian in early February and which sees the relegation zone move away.

“The atmosphere of the Vélodrome makes you want to play there. But don’t go there just happy to be there. You have to go there with the desire to win this match, ”promised Montpellier goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte.

The Marseillais will nevertheless be deprived of their winter recruit Azzeddine Ounahi who suffered a broken toe and whose season is over.

Lens worn by Openda, Paris must react

OM remain under pressure from Lensois (3rd), just two points behind them. But the Northerners, carried by a dazzling Loïs Openda for several matches, travel to Rennes on Saturday (7 p.m.), enlivened by the victory against PSG (2-0).

Sunday, the champion of France welcomes Olympique Lyonnais to revive towards an 11th title. But tarnished by the last defeat at the Parc des Princes against the Bretons and by a cruel lack of desire since the elimination in the round of 16 of C1 by Bayern, will the Parisians manage to get back in working order?