Marseille need to bounce back before Bayern
Reuters - Friday 23 March 2012, 11:02
Brief news from Ligue 1 ahead of
this weekend's matches:
Olympique Marseille need a quick reaction at third from
bottom Nice on Saturday after the embarrassing French
Cup exit to third division Quevilly in midweek, their seven
consecutive defeat.
Ninth-placed Marseille, who host Bayern Munich in a
Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday, have lost
their last five league games.
"We are clearly deep in a hole. Either we stay here or we
lift our heads up," coach Didier Deschamps told reporters.
Marseille centre-back Nicolas Nkoulou is suspended while
striker Loic Remy is out because of a painful thigh. Playmaker
Mathieu Valbuena is back from suspension.
Leaders Paris Saint-Germain are focusing on the league after
being eliminated by Olympique Lyon in the French Cup, their
first defeat since Carlo Ancelotti took over as coach in
December.
PSG, two points ahead of second-placed Montpellier,
entertain Girondins Bordeaux on Sunday.
"This defeat did not hurt us too much. We must forget it as
soon as possible. We have a very important game on Sunday and we
want to be French champions," the club's Brazilian centre half
Alex told a news conference.
Bordeaux, in eighth spot, travel without Yoan Gouffran who
has a sprained ankle.
Montpellier, eliminated by third tier Gazelec Ajaccio in
the French Cup, host sixth-placed Saint-Etienne on Saturday.
The home team welcome back defender Vitorino Hilton and
midfielder Benjamin Stambouli after they were sent off at Nancy
last weekend.
Olympique Lyon seek a fourth consecutive win when they
entertain second from bottom Sochaux on Saturday.
"Not long ago nobody believed in us... now a lot of people
are counting on our team," said Brazilian winger Michel Bastos.
Lyon are fifth, four points behind third-placed Lille.