Olympique Marseille welcome Strasbourg to the Stade Velodrome as the 2026-27 French Ligue 1 campaign kicks off on Friday night, with both sides looking to start their season with a good result.
Ayomide Oguntimehin provides more insight into the August 21 clash.
Marseille vs Strasbourg match preview
Olympique Marseille enter this encounter aiming to kick off their season with a win after their poor start to the end of the 2025-26 campaign. Despite having a good run late in the season, a poor run of results in their final four games saw them miss out on qualification for the UEFA Champions League with a fifth place finish.
They have since sacked head coach Habib Beye and replaced him with Bruno Genesio and will be aiming for a perfect start to the new season, as they look to end PSG’s dominance of the Ligue 1 title.
Les mots de 𝐁𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐨 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐨 🇫🇷 à 2️⃣ jours de la 1ère journée de @Ligue1 face à Strasbourg 🗣️ #OMRCSA ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/9lmTMQG3GL
— Olympique de Marseille (@OM_Officiel) August 19, 2026
Strasbourg, meanwhile, are also hoping to spoil Marseille’s party and start their own campaign with a win as well. The Blue and White have also appointed Hugo Oliveira as new head coach, replacing Gary O’Neil who left the club to join Ipswich Town in the Premier League, marking their third permanent manager in 2926.
They have already signed the likes of Diogo Sousa, Giovanni Reyna and Fabio Balde, while Valentin Barco, Emmanuel Emegha and Julio Enciso headlines the list of departures.
Marseille vs Strasbourg Head-to-Head
(Last five meetings)
- 14.02.2026 – Marseille 2-2 Strasbourg
- 26.09.2025 – Strasbourg 1-2 Marseille
- 19.01.2025 – Marseille 1-1 Strasbourg
- 29.09.2024 – Strasbourg 1-0 Marseille
- 12.01.2024 – Marseille 1-1 Strasbourg
This fixture has been evenly balanced in recent meetings, with both sides winning one game apiece, while the remaining three matches has ended in a draw.
Best betting odds
Over 2.5 Goals – 1.49 (via 1xBet)
𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐡 Ⓒ🇺🇸 avant #OMRCSA 🎙️ pic.twitter.com/AJOgvhZSPb
— Olympique de Marseille (@OM_Officiel) August 19, 2026
Prediction
This game has a history of producing multiple goals, and this particular clash is expected to continue their trend and serve up at least three goals.
Recent form: Marseille
Marseille have suffered just one defeat in their last four games and it came in their final preseason game when they were beaten 2-1 by Spanish side Atletico Madrid.
Los Phoceens have only kept one clean sheet in their last five, although they only failed to score once in this run of form.
𝙅𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣’ 😌 pic.twitter.com/Q7r8qQnPxQ
— Racing Club de Strasbourg Alsace (@RCSA) August 19, 2026
Recent form: Strasbourg
Strasbourg have been very poor in recent outings and their only win in their last seven matches came in a 2-1 win over Newcastle United last weekend.
They failed to keep a clean sheet during this period and also failed to score in four of the seven games as well.
Player to watch
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Guela Doue (Strasbourg)
Ivorian defender Guela Doue will be hoping to begin the season by helping his side to a favourable result, following his impressive display at the 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament.
The 23-year-old’s constant runs down the right and his crossing skills could prove important for his side in this clash.
