Marseille take on Braga at the Orange Veledrome next week, with the Europa League rivals set to provide one of the biggest clashes of the round in France. The duo will both be hoping to record a win ahead of the reverse fixture in Portugal, with the emphasis on the home team to take the game to their opponents in front of their home fans.
Europa League – Marseille v Braga, Orange Vélodrome, Marseille – Thursday 15th February – 18:00 UK Time
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Draw Best Odd of: 16/5 at William Hill |
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Olympique Marseille
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Ligue 1 side Marseille host Braga in the first leg of their Europa League Round of 32 tie next week, with the former European champions hoping to go deep into the competition this season. Manager Rudi Garcia will be hoping for a strong performance on home turf, however with their opponents having been a regular in the Europa League knockout phase over recent years, it promises to be a closer encounter at the Stade Veledrome. For those still unsure of who to back, be sure to check out our top betting tip below. However, let’s first take a closer look at the two teams, starting with the home side.
Marseille Team News & Form
The home side come into this match off the back of an emphatic 9-0 away win in the French Cup, with manager Garcia having seen his side offering vast improvements on their performances from last season. Marseille qualified for this stage of the competition despite losing twice in Group I, scoring just four goals from their six matches. The likes of Dimitri Payet, Florian Thauvin and Morgan Sanson are among the biggest attacking threat for the hosts, while striker Kostas Mitroglou could well lead the line against their Portuguese opponents.
Braga Team News & Form
Braga suffered a damaging away defeat at FC Porto in the Portuguese top-flight last time out, a result which leaves them in fourth position in the standings. Manager Abel Ferreira will be looking for a significant improvement from his players when they travel to France next week, with the emphasis on the likes of Ricardo, Hassan and Danilo to use their experience and skill to offer the visitors a threat.
Head to Head
The two teams have met just twice in the past, coming in the same competition back in 2015. Both teams won their respective home fixture that year, with Marseille recovering from a narrow 3-2 away defeat by recording a 1-0 success on home turf.
Marseille v Braga Betting Odds and Predictions
Given their status as the home side next week, it comes as little surprise that it is Marseille who are the favourites for victory with the majority of online bookmakers. Those looking to back the home side for the win for can take advantage of odds of 8/15 from Skybet, while Braga are priced at 13/2 with Betfair.
Top Betting Tip Marseille v Braga
However, our top betting tip for the match is to bet Marseille to win the match and both teams to score during the 90 minutes, which is available at odds of 21/20 with William Hill.