Arsenal can edge
closer to the
Champions League
knockout stage with
a victory
against Marseille on
Tuesday.
A win in France
would give Arsene
Wenger's side 12
points in Group F, but qualification with one
match remaining would still not be sealed
unless Borussia Dortmund fails to beat
Napoli.
Key to Arsenal's form has been the efforts of
Aaron Ramsey and Olivier Giroud, with the
former having netted 11 goals in all
competitions so far this season.
Ramsey's contribution from midfield has been
crucial for a side which is still short on
firepower beyond Giroud.
The 27-year-old Frenchman netted both
goals in the 2-0 Premier League win over
Southampton on Saturday, taking his tally to
10 for the season, but the club's fans will be
hoping for a new signing in January to give
him some support.
Theo Walcott returned from an abdominal
injury in the win against Southampton and is
a welcome inclusion for a side still missing
Lukas Podolski (hamstring), Alex Oxlade-
Chamberlain and midfielder Abou Diaby (both
knee).
Arsenal won the first meeting between these
two sides in France in September, with goals
from Walcott and Ramsey giving them a 2-1
success.
They also met twice in the 2011-12
Champions League, and although the fixture
in London ended goalless, Ramsey scored a
late winner in a 1-0 victory for Arsenal in
France.
While Arsenal tops the group with nine
points, Marseille is rock-bottom and is yet to
get off the mark after losing all four of its
matches so far.
Qualification is now beyond them, but coach
Elie Baup will be looking for his side to
restore some pride.
A winless run of seven matches put serious
pressure on Baup, but successive Ligue 1
triumphs over Sochaux and Ajaccio have
lifted Marseille to fourth in the table.
Youngster Florian Thauvin scored in Friday's
3-1 win at Ajaccio, his seventh goal in six
matches for club and country.
Thauvin also netted a hat trick and provided
two assists for France's Under-21s in a 6-0
romp against Armenia earlier this month.
Marseille has won just once in its 11
Champions League visits to England, losing
six, and it will be without forward Andre
Ayew, who could miss the next two months
with a knee injury, while Rod Fanni (muscle
strain) is also sidelined.
Lucas Mendes could return from an ankle
injury though, after he was an unused
substitute at Ajaccio.
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