Lens v Marseille: visitors backed to continue strong Ligue 1 run

RC Lens host Olympique de Marseille at Stade Bollaert-Delelis on Sunday, 8 November 2026, with both sides looking to improve their position in Ligue 1. The match, part of the 10th round of the season, begins at 19:45 GMT.

Lens come into the fixture under significant pressure after two damaging defeats. They lost 1-0 to Lille in last weekend’s North derby before suffering a historic 1-9 home defeat by Como in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Those results have left Franck Haise’s side short of confidence before Marseille’s visit. Lens are ninth in the table with 13 points from nine matches, having recorded four wins, one draw and four defeats.

Marseille, by contrast, arrive in considerably better form. The visitors are sixth on 15 points, with five victories and four defeats from their opening nine games. They have won their past four Ligue 1 matches and also secured an impressive European victory away to Leverkusen in midweek.

That sequence of results has strengthened the position of Bruno Genesio’s team, who will aim to exploit Lens’ recent defensive and psychological difficulties.

Head-to-head record

The clubs have met 113 times, with the overall record almost completely even. Lens have won 45 of those games, Marseille 46, while the remaining 22 have ended in draws.

The narrow margin between the teams’ records underlines how closely contested this fixture has traditionally been.

Match information

Date: Sunday, 8 November 2026 Kick-off: 19:45 GMT Venue: Stade Bollaert-Delelis

Where to watch: France: Disney, DAZN; Belgium: Proximus Pickx, Play Sports 1 / Play Sports; UK and Ireland: Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Ultra HD; Germany and Austria: Sky Sport Premier League, Sky Go / WOW; Spain: DAZN; Italy: DAZN; Netherlands: Viaplay Netherlands; Poland: Canal+ / Canal+ Extra 1; Portugal: DAZN Portugal; sub-Saharan Africa: SuperSport; Maghreb and Middle East: beIN Sports.

Prediction

Marseille are favoured to take all three points, having built greater momentum than their hosts through four successive Ligue 1 wins and their midweek success at Leverkusen.

Lens will hope the atmosphere at Bollaert-Delelis can help them recover, but Marseille’s attacking strength and current confidence are expected to give them the edge.

Africafoot prediction: Lens 1-2 Marseille.

The published betting prices list Lens at 2.05 to win, a draw at 3.60 and Marseille at 2.95.