Without a single point after two Europa League matchdays, Olympique de Marseille are set to field an African centre-back pairing of Nayef Aguerd, the Morocco international central defender, and Bamo Meïté, the Ivorian central defender, for their trip to Sturm Graz, according to probable line-ups.
This Thursday at 18:45, Olympique de Marseille travel to the Merkur Arena to face SK Sturm Graz on matchday 3 of the Europa League league phase. Kick-off will be blown by Serbian referee Nenad Minakovic, in front of an away section where seven hundred Marseille supporters have made the trip, according to Cybernews.
The table makes grim reading: before kick-off, OM sat 32nd in the league with zero points from two matchdays, according to Eurosport. Two defeats have come in succession, on the pitch at Beşiktaş (1-4) and then at home against Olympiakos (0-1), per TOP Mercato. Marseille’s only goal in the league phase this season was scored by young Keyliane Abdallah.
An African centre-back pairing
In a bid to halt the run, Bruno Genesio, Marseille’s head coach, is set to field an African central defensive pairing of Nayef Aguerd and Bamo Meïté, according to the line-ups reported by Dicodusport and Stars Actu.
In midfield, Algeria international Himad Abdelli and Nigeria’s Tochukwu Nnadi also start, according to the same sources. These line-ups are still to be confirmed at kick-off, as the lists released before the match can still change.
Sturm Graz: one point and no goals
On the other side, Sturm Graz sat 26th in the European standings with a single point taken and no goals scored, according to Eurosport. Marseille, for their part, come into the game on two consecutive away wins in Ligue 1, 0-2 at Troyes and 2-5 at Angers, the same source reports.
The last competitive meeting on Austrian soil dates back to 27 October 1999, in the European Cup, and ended in a 3-2 win for Sturm Graz, according to Eurosport.
Valero: a separate matter
Away from the match, another issue is stirring the club. Antoine Valero, included by Bruno Genesio in the squad for the trip to Graz, is demanding playing time before signing a professional contract. “He is 18, he has never worn the OM shirt in an official match, yet his case is already a headache for the club,” Marie Mahé wrote on Eurosport.
After this trip, OM return to Ligue 1 this weekend, before matchday 4 of the Europa League, scheduled for 5 November 2026.