CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Marseille v Bayern Munich:OLYMPIQUE MARSEILLE are on their knees and will have two key players missing when they host Bayern in tonight's Champions League quarter-final first leg but hope springs eternal.
While OM have lost seven of their last eight games in all competitions, Bayern have scored 22 goals in their last five games and head to Provence beaming with confidence.
Marseille, who put an end to their losing streak with a 1-1 draw at Nice in Ligue 1 on Saturday, will be without goalkeeper Steve Mandanda and centre back Souleymane Diawara through suspension. Senegal’s Diawara will also miss the rest of the season after he sustained a serious knee injury at Nice.
Mandanda will be replaced by Elinton Andrade, who has not played for the first team since a French Cup last-16 defeat at Evian, who were in Ligue 2 at that time, a year ago. Gennaro Bracigliano was due to start against Munich but has been dropped after a blunder handed third division Quevilly a 3-2 extra-time win in a French Cup quarter-final last week.
“I had a difficult choice, as a person and as a coach. I won’t elaborate because if I say what made me choose one of them, it will underline what the other doesn’t have,” coach Didier Deschamps said yesterday.
Marseille can draw comfort from beating Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund twice in the Champions League group phase this season. Saturday’s draw at Nice was also hard-fought as they snatched a point despite playing with 10 men following Charles Kabore’s dismissal on the stroke of half-time.
“The bleeding has not stopped yet but at least we have put a bandage on it,” Deschamps said.
Bayern may again be without midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger after he missed Saturday’s 2-1 Bundesliga victory over Hanover with an ankle injury.
MARSEILLE: E Andrade; C Azpilicueta, N Nkoulou, S Mbia, J Morel; B Cheyrou, A Diarra, M Amalfitano, M Valbuena; A Ayew, L Remy
BAYERN: M Neuer; P Lahm, J Boateng, H Badstuber, D Alaba; A Robben, L Gustavo, T Kroos, T Mueller, F Ribery; M Gomez.
Referee: C Velasco Carballo(Spain).
