Angers welcome third-placed Olympique de Marseille to Stade Raymond Kopa on Saturday evening, January 17, 2026, with the hosts sitting 10th on 22 points and the visitors chasing league leaders on 32. Roberto De Zerbi's men arrive as favorites despite inconsistent away form, while Alexandre Dujeux's side will look to exploit home advantage after eliminating themselves from the Coupe de France on Saturday via a penalty shootout loss to Toulouse. Marseille holds a significant psychological edge, having not lost to Angers in their last eight meetings.
Angers have built momentum through December with four wins in six outings across all competitions. They dismantled Nantes 4-1 on December 12 before sneaking past Nice 1-0 on December 7, showcasing the attacking verve that has carried them three points ahead of last season's pace at this stage. The hosts beat Le Havre 2-1 on January 4 but stumbled on Saturday in the cup, drawing 1-1 with Toulouse before exiting on penalties. Missing Himad Abdelli and Jim Allevinah to injury, Dujeux will rely on his compact low-block system and quick transitions to frustrate one of Ligue 1's most potent attacks.
Marseille rebounded from a difficult start to 2026 with a statement 9-0 demolition of Bayeux in the Coupe de France on Tuesday. That thrashing followed a 2-0 loss at Nantes on January 4 that ended their unbeaten run. Mason Greenwood continues his exceptional season with a hat-trick and two assists in that cup rout, taking his tally to 19 goals in 25 games. De Zerbi's side edged Monaco 1-0 on December 14 and thrashed Nice 5-1 on November 22, but draws against Toulouse and October's 2-2 stalemate with Angers highlight their struggles to kill off mid-table opposition.
De Zerbi holds clear admiration for his opposite number, stating in December that "the team playing the best football in France right now is Angers. I really like their coach." Dujeux, meanwhile, confirmed striker Prosper Peter remains uncertain for the match due to injury, though the forward has primarily been a bench option in recent months and his absence should not alter the starting lineup.
The two sides drew 2-2 in their most recent meeting on October 29, 2025, continuing a pattern of tight encounters between these teams. Marseille have not tasted defeat against Angers in their last eight clashes, recording five wins and three draws since Angers' lone victory in December 2020. In 19 total meetings, Marseille hold eight wins to Angers' two, with nine draws. Angers have struggled to score at home against the visitors, failing to find the net in their last three home fixtures against De Zerbi's predecessors.
My model backs Over 2.5 Goals at 91/100 (1.91 decimal) with a 66.53% win probability. I predict a 2-1 Marseille victory with expected goals of 1.31 for Angers and 2.12 for the visitors. The xG disparity reflects Marseille's superior firepower led by Greenwood's 19-goal campaign. Angers have netted in four of their last five league matches, consistently finding ways to breach defenses despite their mid-table position. The gap in attacking quality tilts this fixture toward a high-scoring affair favoring the visitors.