Tactics
New Marseille coach Igor Tudor continues to stick by his favoured 3-4-2-1 formation. Leonardo Balerdi has switched from the right-hand side to the left wing for Olympique’s last two Champions League games, with Chancel Mbemba replacing former Schalke man Sead Kolasinac in defence. Matteo Guendouzi has also taken on a more offensive role, moving from holding midfield to the number eight position behind lone striker Alexis Sánchez – and alongside another ex-Schalke player in Amine Harit.
Sánchez is supported from the flanks by the pacey Nuno Tavarez and Jonathan Clauss, with club legend Dimitri Payet having to settle for a place on the bench recently. Marseille have recorded back-to-back wins over Sporting Clube de Portugal in their last two Group D encounters.
Absentees
Marseille centre-back Eric Bailly misses out with a dead leg, while Tudor says Pape Gueye is short of match fitness.
Eintracht centre-back Tuta is serving a one-match suspension following his dismissal against Tottenham Hotspur. Makoto Hasebe, Aurélio Buta and Ansgar Knauff remain sidelined due to injury.
One to watch: Alexis Sánchez
Sánchez has impressed since joining Olympique from Inter Milan in the summer, scoring in both their recent victories over Sporting.
- Marseille are Sánchez’s ninth club. The frontman has also laced his boots for the likes of Arsenal, Barcelona and Inter.
- Sánchez won the league, domestic cup and Super Cup in both Spain and Italy. He won the FA Cup twice in England and lifted the Club World Cup during his time in Barcelona.
- He is Chile’s record appearance holder and goalscorer, with 48 strikes in 148 international outings. He has also won the Copa América on two occasions.
Statistics and runs
Eintracht have won all five encounters with French opposition on home soil, beating Monaco, Sochaux, Girondins Bordeaux, Strasbourg and Marseille.
Olympique on the other hand have lost their past five away games in Germany without scoring a single goal.
Key battle: Randal Kolo Muani vs. Chancel Mbemba
Eintracht’s young forward has already been directly involved in 11 Bundesliga goals this season. Against Marseille, the 23-year-old is likely to come up against Mbemba, who also has Congolese roots and has played more minutes than anyone else under Tudor this term. Sánchez is the only player in the Olympique squad with more Champions League experience than the centre-back (29 appearances), who sat out Eintracht’s 1-0 win in France last month through suspension.
