Gignac expecting Chelsea to be the toughest in Group F for Marseille
Published:Andre-Pierre Gignac is in no doubt that Chelsea pose the toughest test for Marseille in Group F as they look to progress to the knockout stages of the Champions League.
Gignac left Toulouse for Marseille over the summer for a reported £14.75m and signed a five-year deal with the reigning French champions.
He gained experience of the qualifying stages of the Champions League in 2007 when at Toulouse, but is now eager to display his talents in the competition proper when facing Chelsea, Spartak Moscow and MSK Zilina in the group stages of the tournament.
Marseille are 5/1 to finish at the head of Group F, but although Gignac admits that Chelsea will present the sternest test, he is not expecting any of the games to be easy.
He told the official Marseille website: “Chelsea are a huge club with nothing left to prove on the European stage. They have had a terrific start to the season and will be tough opponents.
“But motivation can take you a long way in the Champions League too, and we know that it’s also going to be extremely difficult in Slovakia and in the extreme cold in Russia.”
If Marseille are to make it to the latter stages of the Champions League then they may need Gignac to be on form in front of goal and he is 100/1 to be the competition’s top scorer.
Meanwhile, they will be hopeful of getting off to a winning start as their first fixture in the competition is at home to Spartak Moscow.
Marseille were the last French winners of the Champions League when beating AC Milan in the final in 1993. They are 50/1 to do so again this season. See the whole Champions League winners market.
