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Both in search of a first victory of the Europa League league phase, Sturm Graz and Marseille will do battle in Austria on Thursday.
The visitors have lost both of their first two matches, while the hosts have managed one draw and one defeat with both keen to get up and running.
Read our prediction, preview and betting tips for the game below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
Sturm Graz vs. Marseille key stats
- Sturm Graz have won two of their six continental matches so far this season, being both legs of a Champions League qualifying win over Hearts.
- Thursday's game is the first H2H since the 1999-2000 Champions League, when they each managed one win in a pair of group-stage games.
- Only one team have scored more Ligue 1 goals than Marseille (14) so far this season.
- Marseille have lost six of their last eight games in all competitions.
Sturm Graz vs. Marseille preview: Who can muster a first win in the league phase?
Sturm Graz vs Marseille — Tale of the Tape
| Sturm Graz | vs | Marseille |
|---|---|---|
| 26th | Position | 32nd |
| 1 | Points | 0 |
| 0 | Goals For | 1 |
| 3 | Goals Against | 5 |
| 1 | Clean Sheets | 0 |
| 20th (H) | Home / Away Rank | 32nd (A) |
Sturm Graz head into the third round of Europa League league-phase matches on Thursday in search of a first victory, having come away empty-handed last weekend.
After a second-placed Austrian Bundesliga finish in 2025-26, they began the new term in Champions League qualifying and got past Hearts with a 6-0 aggregate triumph, only to drop into the Europa League as they fell to a 3-0 loss at the hands of Fenerbahce across two legs.
Die Schwoazn are yet to score in their two league phase matches but did come away from their opener against Rennes with a point as it ended in a stalemate in Austria, before visiting AFC Bournemouth last week and suffering a 3-0 beating with Evanilson, Rayan and Alvaro Rodriguez on the scoresheet.
That followed a 2-0 league win away at Austria Vienna, and they made it back-to-back top-tier victories on their return to domestic football at the weekend, hosting Grazer AK and dishing out a 6-1 beating with Oumar Diakite hitting a hat-trick alongside goals from Luca Weinhandl, Jurgen Heil and Jon Gorenc Stankovic.
Now competing on the continent once again with the hopes of getting up and running after last week's loss in England, but with Seedy Jatta, Otar Kiteishvi, Gizo Mamageishvili, Filip Rozga, Nelson Weiper and Emran Soglo still all confined to the treatment room, Sturm Graz will look to make home advantage count and make it back-to-back victories.
Their visitors, meanwhile, travel to Austria in search of their first points of the continental campaign having failed to get up and running in their first two attempts.
A fifth-placed finish in Ligue 1 last season saw Marseille skip qualifying and join the Europa League in the league phase, but their first two games have produced two losses with one goal scored and five conceded.
Bruno Genesio's team firstly lost 4-1 away at Besiktas in September, before welcoming Olympiacos to France last week and losing 1-0 with Santiago Hezze scoring the only goal on the stroke of half time.
Their stumble out of the blocks in the league phase came alongside a disappointing start to the new Ligue 1 season, as Les Olympiens lost four of their first five league matches, but they have since recorded consecutive domestic wins either side of the Olympiacos defeat, most recently visiting Angers on Sunday and winning 5-2 as Himad Abdelli, Nouhoum Kamissoko, Amine Gouiri, Amine Harit and Igor Paixao scored.
They will now hope to channel that upturn in domestic form into their European bid and get their first points on the board with an away win in Austria.
Sturm Graz vs. Marseille form guide & betting tips
| Sturm Graz | vs | Marseille |
|---|---|---|
DLWLW |
Form | LLWLW |
| 8 | Goals For | 9 |
| 7 | Goals Against | 9 |
DL |
Europa League | LL |
Whispers predicts: Sturm Graz 1-3 Marseille
Although the two sides have only scored one goal between them in the league phase thus far, we may see a different game on Thursday as both target the meeting as a good chance for a first victory, in particular with Marseille having scored 14 goals in just seven Ligue 1 matches this term. We fancy over 2.5 goals at 8/11 (1.73).
Despite their two defeats to open the campaign, Marseille should be the stronger side and have shown signs of improvement in the last two weeks in the French top flight. We fancy them to overcome the hosts in Austria and win the game at 1/1 (2.00).
Amine Gouiri has started the season strongly up front for Marseille, scoring five goals in his first seven Ligue 1 appearances of the term. He will continue to lead a dangerous attacking unit and should have chances to show his quality in front of goal. We back the Algeria international to score anytime at 8/5 (2.60).
> Over 2.5 goals at 8/11 (1.73) | Likelihood: Probable
> Marseille to win at 1/1 (2.00) | Likelihood: Possible
> Amine Gouiri to score anytime at 8/5 (2.60) | Likelihood: Possible