OM faces looming challenging calendar
Today - through 13 matchdays - OM is within three points of second place in Ligue 1 and will now begin an intense sprint to the end of the year. Between the Matchday 14 and 22 December, les Olympiens will play every three days for a nearly a month. It's a merciless calendar with a fortune of points up for grabs.
The final international break of 2018 saw nearly quarter of Rudi Garcia's team away with their countries. The Boss and his staff will finally get the whole group back just a few days before visiting to 16th-place Amiens. The clash at the Stade de la Licorne will be the first in the year-closing climactic series of matches.
Amiens First, Nantes & Saint-Etienne For the taking
The end of 2018 will open against Amiens on Sunday, 25 November. On the same day, fourth-place Lyon (24 points) and fifth-place Saint-Étienne (23 points) will face off in a match that carries particularly important implications in the race for the top three. Four days later, les Olympiens return to the Europa League with a trip to Eintracht Frankfurt, who has already qualified beyond the group stage. Then, OM hosts ninth-place Reims (17 points) on 2 December. Last year's Ligue 2 champion plays an attractive brand of football and boasts the scalps of Lyon, Monaco and Rennes this year.
Between 5-9 December, Marseille faces two crucial matches against 10th-place Nantes (16 points) and Saint-Étienne.
The Marseillais will finish their European campaign on December 13, hosting Apollon Limassol three days before Matchday 18 in Ligue 1 - a visit from 11th-place Bordeaux (16 points).
The Phocéens will kick off their Coupe de la Ligue campaign against Strasbourg on Wednesday, 19 December. To close break-neck race, les Olympiens face a trip to Angers (13th, 15 points) on 22 December.
