This article was originally written and published by French soccer correspondent Patrick Tchahnoun for GOAL France.
On Tuesday evening, Olympique de Marseille travels to Lotto Park to take on Union Saint-Gilloise, who are still well placed in the Belgian league. After inconsistent results in Ligue 1 and a bumpy ride in the Champions League, OM are under pressure. Les Phocéens need to get a result to stay in the race for the play-offs.
Union Saint-Gilloise, a rollercoaster ride in Europe
The start of the European campaign had been promising. A strong victory away to PSV Eindhoven (1-3) had launched Union Saint-Gilloise into the league phase with ambition. Then the machine stalled. Three heavy defeats followed. Newcastle struck hard (0-4), Inter even harder (0-4), before a frustrating defeat against Atlético Madrid (3-1) despite a performance that had the Spaniards doubting themselves for much of the game.
However, the Brussels side have not sunk yet. On the last matchday, the Belgian club secured a valuable away win at Galatasaray (0-1). This victory puts them back into 2nd place, excluded from the playoff positions only on goal difference. In their domestic league, Union Saint-Gilloise is also staying on course. The draw against La Gantoise (1-1) this weekend did not jeopardise their position at the top of the Jupiler Pro League, with one clear objective: to retain their title.
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OM moves forward without any real rhythm
For Marseille, the season has been a series of ups and downs. In Ligue 1, OM came away with a 2-2 draw against Toulouse, followed by a frustrating 1-0 defeat at Lille. These two results have seen the club slip to third place, four points behind PSG and five behind leaders Lens.
In the Champions League, the picture is no more reassuring. Marseille lost their first match against Real Madrid (2-1), despite an encouraging performance. Roberto De Zerbi’s men hit back well with an emphatic victory over Ajax (4-0). But then the same mistakes resurfaced, with two lacklustre performances against Sporting CP of Portugal (2-1) and, above all, against Atalanta Bergamo (0-1). With their backs against the wall, OM responded at the Stade Vélodrome with an important victory against Newcastle (2-1), which moved them up to 21st place in the league table.
Which channel can I watch the Union St.Gilloise – OM match on?
The match between Union Saint-Gilloise and Olympique de Marseille will be broadcast live on Paramount+.
Kick-off will be at 9:00 pm local time, which is 3:00 pm Eastern Standard Time and 12 noon Pacific Standard Time here in the United States.
If you miss the game, Paramount+ will have it available on-demand from the final whistle.
How to watch from anywhere with a VPN
If you are abroad, you may need to use a virtual private network (VPN) to watch matches with your usual streaming service. A VPN, such as NordVPN, allows you to establish a secure online connection when streaming. If you are unsure which VPN to use, check out GOAL’s guide to the best VPNs for sports streaming.
Union St.Gilloise vs Marseille match schedule and venue
The match between Union Saint-Gilloise and OM will take place on Tuesday, 9 December at 3:00 pm Eastern Standard Time at Lotto Park in Anderlecht.
Team information and line-ups
Information about Union St.Gilloise
Union will have to cope with a depleted squad for this European match. Mohammed Fuseini, summer signing Ivan Pavlić and Guillaume François are not on the UEFA list, as their recovery periods were deemed too long for registration.
On the other hand, David Hubert will be able to rely on most of his attacking forces. Promise David, who was decisive in the trip to Istanbul, will be present, as will Kévin Rodríguez and Raúl Florucz. Ousseynou Niang is also in contention for a starting place. Conversely, Sofiane Boufal still does not seem to have fully regained his best form and is likely to start the match on the bench again.
Kjell Scherpen is expected to start in goal. The defence is likely to be built around Anan Khalaili, Kevin Mac Allister, Christian Burgess and Ross Sykes. The duo of Adem Zorgane and Kamiel Van De Perre are expected to start in midfield. Further up the pitch, Raúl Florucz, Ousseynou Niang and Anouar Aït El Hadj are likely to support Promise David at the forefront of the attack.
OM team news
As has been the case since the start of the competition, Pol Lirola and Neal Maupay remain unavailable, having not been included in the Champions League squad list. OM will also have to do without several players who are currently injured: Amine Gouiri, Hamed Junior Traoré and centre-back Facundo Medina are all ruled out for this trip to Belgium.
However, Nayef Aguerd, who was absent for the Newcastle game two weeks ago, has made his return and is expected to resume his place in central defence. Panamanian right-back Michael Murillo, who was a substitute in the last Ligue 1 match, is also expected to return to the squad.
In attack, Roberto De Zerbi is expected to once again put his faith in Mason Greenwood. The Englishman has been brilliant in the league, where he tops the scoring charts with ten goals, but has struggled to show the same efficiency on the European stage, with only one goal scored so far. Conversely, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has established himself as Marseille’s leading striker in the Champions League. After scoring a decisive brace against Newcastle, the former Gunner is the joint top scorer for the Olympique side in the competition alongside Brazilian Igor Paixão.
Gerónimo Rulli is expected to continue in goal for Marseille. The defence is likely to be organised around Timothy Weah, Nayef Aguerd, Leonardo Balerdi and Emerson Palmieri. In midfield, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg and Arthur Vermeeren are expected to hold the centre. Further up, Mason Greenwood, Darryl Bakola and Igor Paixão are likely to play behind Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who is expected to lead the line.
