Marseille’s leaky defence concedes unwanted record | OneFootball

Olympique de Marseille’s leaky defence came under question on Saturday evening when AS Monaco put three unanswered goals past their Champions League rivals at the Stade Louis II.

Marseille are suffering a selection crisis at the back with Leonardo Balerdi and Luiz Felipe out for the foreseeable future, and over the weekend, this led to Roberto De Zerbi fielding a back five without any recongised centre-backs. The sole centre-back in the matchday squad, Derek Cornelius, was left on the bench as an unused substitute.

This crisis has been partly responsible for Marseille’s poor defensive record, as they have now conceded 41 goals in 29 games (the second-worst record in the top half of the table after Stade Brestois). According to Stats du Foot, this is Marseille’s worst tally at this stage of the season since the 1984/85 season, where they conceded 51 goals in 29 games.

Marseille hold their future in their hands with five games of the season left to play. The club occupy third place and the remaining automatic Champions League qualifying spot, but with Olympique Lyonnais only a point behind them, they will need to quickly refind their early season form.

GFFN | Nick Hartland