Tottenham take on Marseille in a do or die match, Sporting face Frankfurt

(Football news) With everything still to play in Group D, Marseille take on Tottenham Hotspur at the Orange Velodrome as both the sides will be vying for spots in the Champions League round of 16. Spurs are just one point clear at the top of the group while the Les Olympiens sit in fourth in group D but are still capable of qualifying for the last 16 with a win. A total loss of discipline from Sporting Lisbon two match days have handed Marseille a golden ticket to the knockout stages, with Igor Tudor's side taking advantage of three red cards that Sporting Lisbon players got across the two games they played as their chances of qualification looks grim.

For the French side winning just one of their last five games at home and conceding in their last six at home is not music to the ears of the Marseille fans and Les Olympiens must now achieve a feat that they have not done since 2010, which is to beat an English team in the Champions League. Tottenham on the other hand will be without Antonio Conte who will serve a touchline ban for this pivotal game. The North London club remain in pole position and subsequently need only a point to progress to the knockout stages. Spurs were on the verge of qualifying last but were denied by VAR last match against Sporting. Marseille's record against English clubs makes Spurs the favourite in this game but Tottenham have never beaten a French team away from home in any European competition.

Marseille possible starting lineup:

Lopez; Mbemba, Balerdi, Kolasinac; Clauss, Rongier, Veretout, Tavares; Guendouzi, Payet; Sanchez

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Lloris; Sanchez, Dier, Lenglet; Doherty, Hojbjerg, Bentancur, Perisic; Lucas, Kane, Son

A place in the knockout stages is still a possibility for both Sporting Lisbon and Eintracht Frankfurt as they face each other at the Estadio Jose Alvalade. Ruben Amorim's side are second in Group D and hold the advantage for qualifying in the final knockout place with Frankfurt in third but only behind on head-to-head points. Marcus Edwards caused his former club all sorts of problems in Lisbon as the ex-Tottenham Hotspur starlet returned to North London with a bang to put his side ahead in the first half and virtually seal a place in the knockout but technology ended up being Sporting's saviour after Tottehnam almost won it at the end.

The hosts' are nine-games without a clean sheet in all competitions and Sporting head into the clash having failed to win any of their last three UCL matches. On the other hand Die Adler’s side can only progress to the knockout stages with a win but even if they lose, the consolation prize of Europa League football will be theirs if Marseille lose to Tottenham. In order to seal a remarkable last 16 place in  the Champions League, Frankfurt must win back-to-back games in in the Champions League for only the second time in their history as the last time they did a similar feat was in 1959-60 in the European Cup.

Sporting Lisbon possible starting lineup:

Adan; Inacio, Coates, Reis; Porro, Alexandropoulos, Ugarte, Santos; Trincao, Edwards, Goncalves

Eintracht Frankfurt possible starting lineup:

Trapp; Jakic, Ndicka, Tuta; Knauff, Sow, Kamada, Pellegrini; Gotze, Lindstrom; Kolo Muani

Also read: Bayern put 6 past Mainz while BVB scrape through to an important win

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