Wake-up call for misfiring Marseille

Olympique de Marseille play host to Toulouse FC at the Stade Vélodrome on Saturday still looking to find some sparkle ahead of their UEFA Champions League campaign.

European campaign
With seven games of the new season already gone, Albert Emon's side are lying nine points off the pace, 15th in the table, with only one league win to date. With their Group A campaign set to start on Tuesday with a game at home against Turkish side Beşiktaş JK, Marseille are only too aware that they need to start firing on all cylinders soon.

'A vital game'
Emon was eager to inspire his side against the side that finished a place behind them in third last sason. He said: "It's a vital game. I hope that we will see the results of everything that has been discussed between us for some time over the 90 minutes. If not, some radical decisions will have to be taken. If the players are not good enough, I'll change them."

Home form
The Stade Vélodrome has proved to be a particularly tough venue for Marseille since the start of the new season, with two draws and a defeat in their three home games to date in front of their own supporters. It is something that has driven Emon to fury. "If playing at the Stade Vélodrome is a problem to some players, let them go and play somewhere else," he said.

Toulouse woe
Toulouse themselves could do with a good result after failing to reproduce the form that earned them a place in Europe this season. Elie Baup's men are 14th, just above their hosts, and will have to do without two of their key players Paulo César and Albin Ebondo. It may be early in the season, but both sides will feel nothing less than a victory is necessary to kick-start their respective Ligue 1 campaigns.