Auxerre vs Marseille tonight: kickoff time, TV/streaming details, likely lineups, and key storylines

Ligue 1 serves up a north–south clash tonight as Auxerre host Marseille at Stade de l’Abbé-Deschamps. First kick is set for the late slot, with timing staggered across time zones to accommodate a national broadcast.

What time does Auxerre vs Marseille start?

• France (CET): 9:05 p.m.

• UK (GMT): 8:05 p.m.

• US Eastern (ET): 4:05 p.m.

• US Pacific (PT): 1:05 p.m.

• Cairo (EET): 10:05 p.m.

Where: Stade de l’Abbé-Deschamps, Auxerre
Competition: Ligue 1, Matchday 11
Watch: National TV in France; international partners and official club apps in select markets (check local listings). Live radio is available via each club’s network.

The table picture

Auxerre enter the night in the relegation fight and desperate for points at home, while Marseille ride the top-three pack with designs on tightening their grip on European places. That urgency on both sides should make for a lively pace: the hosts need to seize early momentum; the visitors want control without dulling their cutting edge.

Form guide at a glance

• Auxerre: Inconsistent but stubborn at home, mixing compact spells with sudden bursts on the counter. Goals have been hard to come by in stretches; set pieces are a lifeline.

• Marseille: Sharper since early autumn, with improved chance creation and more authority in midfield. Away form is better than it was to start the campaign, yet late-game game-management remains a theme to watch.

Likely lineups (projected)

Auxerre (4-2-3-1):
Goalkeeper; Back four with overlapping fullbacks; a double pivot to screen; a creative No. 10 underneath a lone striker. Wide men tasked with tracking back and springing counters.

Marseille (4-3-3):
Goalkeeper; modern fullbacks stepping inside on build-up; a single pivot with two eights to progress play; wingers attacking the half-spaces off a mobile center-forward.

(Final XIs to be confirmed roughly one hour before kickoff.)

Tactical chessboard

1) Auxerre’s block vs. Marseille’s rotations
Expect the hosts to start in a mid-to-low block, inviting Marseille to the flanks. The away side’s answer is quick interchanges between fullback, interior midfielder and winger to pry open the channel outside the box. If Auxerre hold their lines and win first contact on crosses, frustration can creep in.

2) Transitions decide the tone
Auxerre’s best path is a tidy first pass after the turnover to release the wide forward. Marseille, meanwhile, have improved counter-pressing; if they snuff those breaks, possession will skew blue-and-white and chances will mount by volume.

3) Set-piece swing state
In tight Ligue 1 nights, dead balls decide points. Auxerre generate outsized threat from outswingers and second balls; Marseille’s delivery and near-post runs are a constant worry for zonal setups.

Players to watch

• Auxerre – the No. 10: If he finds pockets behind Marseille’s midfield, he can thread the release ball that turns defense into a 3-on-3 break.

• Auxerre – center-back pairing: Discipline against diagonal runs is non-negotiable; any misread on a through ball puts the goalkeeper in a footrace.

• Marseille – holding midfielder: The metronome. If he dictates tempo and angles the press, Marseille will live in the attacking third.

• Marseille – right winger: Form has ticked up; watch for under-lap combinations and far-post runs that arrive late.

Bench factors

Look for Auxerre to introduce a vertical runner around the hour to chase tired legs. Marseille’s depth—particularly in attack—lets them change the profile from touchline-hugging width to inside-forward chaos if the game stalls. Fresh legs on either flank could flip field position in the final 20.

What each side needs

• Auxerre:

  • Keep the first 20 minutes clean; no cheap giveaways near the box.

  • Target quick switches to isolate Marseille’s fullbacks.

  • Turn every attacking throw-in and corner into a moment of pressure.

• Marseille:

  • Speed the ball on second phase to avoid Auxerre’s set block resetting.

  • Vary delivery—cut-backs, not just crosses—to punish collapsing lines.

  • Manage game state if leading: limit broken-field exchanges late.

Prediction range

On paper, Marseille have the deeper squad and more routes to goal, but Auxerre at home are awkward and dangerous on set plays. The most likely scripts: a narrow away win or a draw decided by a single moment at either end.

Edge: Marseille by one, with total goals in the 2–3 band.

 If you’re tuning in for Auxerre vs Marseille tonight, aim for 9:05 p.m. in France, 8:05 p.m. in the UK, 4:05 p.m. ET in the U.S., and 10:05 p.m. in Cairo—then settle in for a tactical tug-of-war where transitions and set pieces could carry the night.