Marseille vs Brighton & Hove Albion prediction, odds and preview

Marseille will face Brighton & Hove Albion in the UEFA Europa League group stage on Thursday at the Orange Vélodrome.

Marseille go into the game after a 3-2 loss to Monaco in their most recent league encounter. Monaco won thanks to a brace from midfielder Maghnes Akliouche and a goal from American attacker Folarin Balogun. Marseille’s goals came from Iliman Ndiaye and Samuel Gigot.

Brighton, on the other side, recently fell 6-1 to Aston Villa in the Premier League. Aston Villa won thanks to a hat-trick from Ollie Watkins, goals from midfielders Jacob Ramsey and Douglas Luiz, and an own goal from Ecuadorian left-back Pervis Estupinan.

Ansu Fati came off the bench to score the Seagulls’ only goal of the game.

Marseille, who have now won only one of their previous seven games in all competitions, are presently 12th in Ligue 1 and, despite being only four points behind the top three, Gattuso faces a difficult assignment in turning the club’s fortunes around and winning over the club’s supporters.

Over the last decade, the French giants have struggled to advance past the group stage of any European competition, failing to reach the knockout stages in each of their last six appearances in either the Champions League or the Europa League, and winning only one of their last 16 Europa League group games.

Marseille’s record against English opposition is also unimpressive, having won only one of their previous 15 competitive meetings with Premier League teams, but the recent drop-off in Brighton’s form gives them reason to be optimistic heading into Thursday’s clash.

Brighton were flying high in the Premier League before beginning their first-ever Europa League campaign, winning four of their first five games, but they were handed a reality check two weeks ago when they were defeated 3-2 at home by AEK Athens.

Roberto De Zerbi’s side will look to rediscover their form once again and that would need to start in France.