Marseille look to accomplish ‘Mission Impossible’

(GSM) – Ligue 1 giants Olympique Lyon and Bordeaux are assured of a place in the last sixteen of the Champions League, but their Ligue 1 rival Olympique Marseille have drawn themselves up an arduous task to qualify for the knockout stages.

OM must beat Real Madrid by three clear goals, or by a lesser margin if AC Milan slip-up in Zurich.

The French giants lost their opening two group games at home to the Rossoneri and at the Santiago Bernabeu, leaving no room for error for Didier Deschamps men.

However, back-to-back wins against group’s whipping boys FC Zurich kept their hopes alive.

But this followed by failure to convert several gilt-edged chances against Milan in their last game.

Marseille now face the task of beating nine-times European Winners and world’s most expensively assembled side Real Madrid at Stade Velodrome, if they are to advance from Group C.

OM are in good touch after their 3-1 win in Nice on Saturday, following a forgetful loss at Lens a week earlier.

With Kaka joining Guti, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Christoph Metzelder on the sidelines due to a groin injury, L’OM will still have to deal with the threat of Cristiano Ronaldo.

And coach Deschamps is aware of the magnitude of the task facing L’OM, but while he acknowledges a three-goal victory might be beyond his side, he was urging a big effort from his men on the eve of the encounter.

“Our objective has to be to win the game so that we have no regrets, even if logic suggests that Zurich will not beat Milan.

“Beating Madrid would be a major achievement, but even if our chances of going through are one in a million, there is still that chance.

“It would be presumptuous to say we will win 3-0, but it could happen nonetheless.”

The only doubt for the home side concerns Stephane Mbia. The Cameroon midfielder is, however, hopeful of overcoming an ankle injury in time to play. Edouard Cisse would be the man to drop out should Mbia make it.