Marseille begin new Ligue 1 era against Strasbourg at Stade Velodrome

Olympique de Marseille will begin their Ligue 1 campaign at home to Strasbourg on Friday, 21 August, with both sides seeking an opening-day victory to build confidence for the new season.

The match will take place at Stade Velodrome in Marseille, with kick-off scheduled for 18:45 GMT. In France, the game will be shown on Canal+, while viewers in Germany and the United Kingdom can watch on Amazon Prime Video.

Coverage will also be available on Paramount+, CBS, Fubo, DAZN and TUDN / ViX in the United States; DAZN in Canada; Canal+ Sport Afrique across Africa; Stan Sport in Australia; TNT Sports in Brazil; and ESPN in Latin America.

Marseille have the stronger historical record in this fixture. The two clubs have met 107 times in Ligue 1, with Olympique de Marseille winning 45 matches, Strasbourg claiming 28 victories and the remaining 34 ending in draws.

However, Strasbourg have proved difficult opponents at Stade Velodrome in recent years. Each of the last four Ligue 1 meetings between the teams in Marseille has finished level. Their most recent encounter at the stadium, in February, ended 2-2, with Strasbourg scoring in the closing seconds after Marseille had built a 2-0 lead.

The match marks the start of a new era for Marseille, who have appointed Bruno Genesio as their manager. The club finished fifth last season after a disappointing campaign and missed out on qualification for the Champions League.

Their pre-season offered some encouragement, with Marseille recording three wins and two defeats. One of those victories was a notable 3-1 success against Athletic Bilbao. They go into the Strasbourg game, though, after a 2-1 defeat by Atletico de Madrid.

Strasbourg will also be under new management. Hugo Oliveira has taken charge following the departure of Gary O’Neil, with the club looking to improve on last season’s eighth-place finish.

Their own preparations have been less convincing than Marseille’s. Strasbourg suffered six successive defeats before drawing 1-1 with Newcastle. The Alsatian side will therefore need to find their best form quickly if they are to cause an upset at Stade Velodrome.

Marseille are the clear favourites, with a 63% chance of victory compared with 23% for Strasbourg. The probability of a draw is put at 14%. Those figures reflect Marseille’s home advantage and Strasbourg’s recent run, although the visitors’ record in recent meetings at Stade Velodrome suggests the hosts cannot afford to be complacent.

Africafoot’s prediction is a 2-0 win for Olympique de Marseille.

The betting odds listed for the match are 1.64 for a Marseille victory, 4.20 for a draw and 4.30 for a Strasbourg win, according to 1xBet. The fixture will be the first Ligue 1 match of the season for both teams.