- Newcastle United have won three of their last five matches, including a 2-1 win at home to Man City and a 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao in the Champions League.
- Olympique Marseille have won three of their last five games, including a 5-1 away win over OGC Nice and a 3-0 home win against Stade Brestois 29.
Champions League clash could be another thriller
Newcastle United and Olympique Marseille meet in European competition on Tuesday, but this time the stakes are higher than they were in the 2003-04 UEFA Cup semi-finals, with both sides in with a shout of qualifying from their respective UEFA Champions League 2025/2026 group stages. This Olympique Marseille vs Newcastle preview highlights just how crucial this match is.
Newcastle, who have 9 points from four games, sit 6th in the group, while Marseille, with three points from their four games, are in 25th. A victory for the Magpies could boost their qualification hopes, while a Marseille victory would also boost their hopes according to our Olympique Marseille vs Newcastle prediction.
Both clubs are in fine form, so expect a close encounter in this match, in which the clash of styles will be fascinating. Roberto De Zerbi, who took charge of the hosts in July 2024, has instilled a high-tempo, high-pressing ethos in the hosts, and their ball-dominant 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 structure allows them to morph into some seriously aggressive shapes on the attack, looking to overload the centre and create late runs into the box.
The team that will have to accommodate this is Newcastle, who have been near flawless in Europe since Eddie Howe took charge in November 2021. He has given them an identity, structure and tactical flexibility, and they are a team that can play a compact 4-3-3 or a more flexible 4-2-3-1, which allows them to press with discipline, but also hit on the counter. In terms of Olympique Marseille vs Newcastle odds, bookmakers are closely matching the two teams due to their recent form.
Newcastle’s structure should see them through
With both teams to score coming in at 61/100 and over 2.5 goals at 87/100, the Olympique Marseille vs Newcastle betting tips point towards a high-scoring game being on the cards. Marseille have scored an average of 2.00 goals per game at home while conceding just 0.50. Newcastle have conceded zero goals in their only away UEFA Champions League match this season.
While Newcastle are slight favourites to win, there is a lot of value in the draw market here, and the price on Marseille is not prohibitive enough. With a superior UEFA Champions League record, Newcastle should have the edge, but Marseille’s home goal threat should make this close - hence, our Olympique Marseille vs Newcastle prediction is for a closely-fought match.
Igor Paixao has been Marseille’s most clinical striker this season, with three goals in four UEFA Champions League appearances, while Harvey Barnes has scored three times in Newcastle’s last five. Meanwhile, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been a creator with his three UEFA Champions League assists in four appearances.
