Marseille VS Strasbourg

The 2026-27 Ligue 1 season begins on Friday with Marseille hosting Strasbourg at Stade Velodrome, as both teams look to make a stronger start after finishing fifth and eighth respectively last season. Marseille collected 59 points, while Strasbourg ended six points behind them after a campaign that included a run to the Conference League semi-finals. Bruno Genesio takes charge of Marseille with a strong reputation in Ligue 1, having consistently guided his previous teams into European positions. His immediate task will be to restore Marseille closer to their previous level after they dropped three places and collected six fewer points than in 2024-25. The hosts also have a strong record in opening home fixtures and have scored 63 league goals in the previous campaign. Strasbourg enter the new season under Hugo Oliveira, who will experience his first Ligue 1 match as head coach while aiming to push the club back into European contention. Their domestic points tally declined last season, but their away record remained competitive, with Strasbourg earning 1.35 points per away match and suffering five of their six road defeats by just one goal. They have also taken points in each of their last two opening-day away fixtures, including a 1-0 victory at Metz last season. However, Marseille remain a difficult opponent at home, even though Strasbourg have avoided defeat in their last four visits to Stade Velodrome. Their last Ligue 1 victory at the venue came all the way back in 1997, highlighting the challenge facing the visitors.