Galatasaray eye home win over Marseille in critical Europa League match

Marseille may lack team regular Payet as French forward to be absent in Istanbul for suspension

By Can Erozden

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish football club Galatasaray are seeking a home win against France's Olympique Marseille in a Thursday UEFA Europa League match to secure a top-two finish in Group E.

Group leaders Galatasaray collected eight points in four matches as this phase will end after the next two games.

The Istanbul side have two wins and two draws.

Visitors Marseille, who have four points, should win to keep struggling for the top two chances in Group E.

Galatasaray snatched a 0-0 draw in Marseille's Orange Velodrome on Sept. 30.

The Turkish team has no suspended players for Thursday's match in Istanbul but Marseille may lack their regular Dimitri Payet.

The French forward will be absent for a yellow card suspension.

Payet, 34, who can also play as an attacking midfielder, scored seven goals and made four assists in 13 appearances in all competitions this season.

The match at Nef Stadium will kick off at 1745GMT.

Meanwhile, Lazio have five points to be in the second position. The Italian club will visit Lokomotiv Moscow on Thursday.

The Russians have two points to be quite desperate in the group but they must win to stay in the race.

Galatasaray will make it to the last 16 if they beat Marseille in Istanbul, and Lazio lose points in Moscow.

In the final fixture, Galatasaray will take on Lazio on Dec. 9 at Stadio Olimpico, Rome.

The eight group winners will qualify for the Europa League Round of 16.

But in February, there will be an additional two-legged playoff round to be played before the last 16 phase as eight Europa League group runners-up will face eight third-ranked teams of the UEFA Champions League groups.

- Europa League's matchday 5 fixtures

Wednesday:

Spartak Moscow - Napoli

Thursday:

Lokomotiv Moscow - Lazio

Galatasaray - Olympique Marseille

Crvena zvezda - Ludogorets

Midtjylland - Braga

Real Betis - Ferencvaros

Bayer Leverkusen - Celtic

Rapid Vienna - West Ham United

Dinamo Zagreb - Genk