Lille seek 'legitimate revenge' over Marseille
PARIS - Lille beat Olympique Marseille to last term's French title but the northern side still harbour feelings of revenge ahead of Sunday's league clash after being denied by Didier Deschamps' outfit in last month's Trophy of the Champions.
A 3-1 lead to Lille with five minutes left in the season curtain raiser in Tangiers somehow evaporated and Marseille sealed an astonishing game 5-4.
Last season's Ligue 1 runners-up Marseille have not won a match since, drawing all three of their opening league fixtures while Lille have one victory, one draw and one defeat.
"Playing Marseille is a great moment in the season," Lille winger Dimitri Payet told the club website.
"After the Trophy of the Champions we have a legitimate feeling of revenge. We are at home, we will have our public behind us."
Payet was bought from Saint-Etienne as a replacement for Arsenal's Gervinho and has made a solid start to his Lille career as a host of new signings bed in at the champions.
The fourth game in is very early to count as a barometer for the season but both sides have so far lacked the verve of last term and a win for either would be a big boost in the first high-profile clash of the French campaign.
Deschamps has used towering forward Andre-Pierre Gignac sparingly this term as the France international battles fitness problems and a lack of real form last season.
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
His re-introduction into the starting line-up at Lille could be tempting the coach however, after Marseille missed a raft of chances in recent outings despite forward Loic Remy looking in fine fettle.
Another juicy encounter in France on Saturday is inconsistent Olympique Lyon at home to leaders Montpellier, the only side with a 100 percent record so far.
Paris Saint-Germain, who managed their first win of the campaign last weekend against Valenciennes after a flurry of big signings, visit in-form Toulouse on Sunday where record buy Javier Pastore could be in line for his first start.
‘Scoring in a World Cup is like winning the title – can you imagine millions of people celebrating something you did? It’s insane and made me very proud’: Brazil legend explains how much 2002 goal meant to him
'He already had the ability but didn’t use it because he was afraid to shoot – I said, "You’re a player who has to decide games – you have to take risks, mate"': Liverpool star was forced to become confident by team-mates