Marseille vs. Panathinaikos Preview, Odds, Predictions, Picks

Marseille and Panathinaikos had a fiery clash in Athens seven days ago, when we saw the hosts beating the French unit. PAO now has a minimal lead before the game at Velodrome, but on the other side, the French team will have very aggressive support from the stands. Their fans are among the best in Europe, and they always create a hot atmosphere in the south of France. Marseille is a big favorite, but they had the edge before the game in Greece as well. Remember how that worked out.

Preview

Marseille (-190) didn’t play well in Greece. PAO outplayed them in pretty much all the aspects of play. Marcelino didn’t start his tenure in France very well, and it appears that the team’s chemistry isn’t at the needed level right now. 

We’ve seen that against Reims on Saturday afternoon. Marseille did win, 2-1, coming back from behind, but it wouldn’t be unfair if the hosts went home with all three points. They not only had the lead, but with 1-1, a disallowed goal.

Marcelino’s style isn’t as offensive-minded as with his predecessor, and in general, Marseille did lose some of its sharpness in the attack. We’ve expected more from Aubameyang and Sarr, to be honest.

Panathinaikos (+450) showed a very good performance at home, surprising many, including us. We knew about PAO’s solid quality, but we didn’t expect them to click this fast. 

Unlike Marseille, Panathinaikos didn’t have any games in the domestic league, but they did play one round of the UEFA Champions League qualifiers. PAO eliminated Dnipro, beating them 1-3 on the road, and after that, playing 2-2 at home. 

From what we’ve seen they are very patient, keeping the ball in their feet even in the moments when the rivals try to pressure. Head coach Ivan Jovanovic is known for his defensive strategy, and he incorporated that into Panathinaikos’ performances.

Latest News

Geoffrey Kondogbia will miss this one because of the red card received in the opening leg. All other players are ready to roll.

There isn’t any news about absences in the Greek crew.

Head to Head Games

As stated, the first meeting saw PAO winning 1-0. Bernard broke the lock in the 83rd minute, bringing the Greeks a big lead before the rematch. They outplayed Marseille, who was defending and not even trying hard to attack. PAO had twice as much ball possession as the French team.

Prediction

Jovanovic is preparing defensive-minded tactics for Velodrome, and the Greeks will probably play with five guys in defense and a tough block in front of the box. On the other side, we haven’t seen Marseille very effective on the offensive side since the beginning of the preseason, and that’s why we predict under 2.5 hits in this game. The bookies offer -110 for that suggestion and we will gladly accept that because we believe that the situation on the pitch will be very tough. Guests from Greece come to slow down the game and to steal as much time as possible, and Jovanovic know how to do that. 

Pick: Under 2.5 goals -110