Marseille boss Tudor hails Sanchez as push continues for Champions League slot

Marseille boss Igor Tudor singled out veteran striker Alexis Sanchez as one of the key reasons for his team's surge towards qualification for next season's Champions League.

Igor Tudor, who took charge as Marseille coach at the start of the 2022/23 season, has steered his side to third in Ligue 1. AP - Daniel Cole

The praise came as Tudor's men prepared for Sunday afternoon's clash at the Vélodrome against relegated Angers.

Victory for Marseille will take them to within two points of second-placed Lens with three games remaining.

"There is a Marseille with and a Marseille without Alexis Sanchez," said Tudor.

"He is a player of another level. Maybe we forget that, because he's a very normal, very humble person," added the former Croatia international.

Experience

Sanchez, 34, began his senior club career playing for Cobreloa in Chile. He moved to Italy to play for Udinese before turning out for River Plate in Argentina.

At Barcelona he won six trophies before a move to Arsenal in the English Premier League.

After a brief stay at Manchester United, he signed for Inter Milan where he lifted the Serie A title and the Coppa Italia.

In his 40 games since joining Marseille last August, he has scored 17 goals.

"He doesn't behave like a star," added Tudor.

"He is an irreplaceable player. When he's not there, you feel it."

Marseille lost ground in the Ligue 1 title race on 6 May when they went down 2-1 at Lens who climbed to second place on the back of the result.

Loss

Sanchez left the fray at the Stade Bollaert at half-time with a thigh strain. However, he is expected to return for the Angers match.

Victory will keep Marseille in the hunt for second place and automatic qualification for next season's Champions League. Third place offers a berth for the qualifying rounds to play in European club football's most prestigious tournament.

Paris Saint-Germain lead the top flight with 81 points following their 5-0 annihilation of Ajaccio on Saturday night at the Parc des Princes.

Kylian Mbappé scored twice to become the second French player since the second world war to score 25 goals in a season on four occasions.

📈 @KMbappe has reached the 25 goal mark in Ligue 1 for the 4th time (after 2018/19, 2020/21 and 2021/22) and becomes the 2nd Frenchman to achieve this performance since the post-war period after Thadée Cisowski ! 🔝#PSGACA pic.twitter.com/UbKN4XhZIt

— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) May 13, 2023

Mbappé's brace took him to 26 strikes for the season – two ahead of Lyon's Alexandre Lacazette who scored four times in last week's 5-4 victory over Montpellier.

On Sunday, Lacazette can try to overtake Mbappé when Lyon play at Clermont. 

Ajaccio's defeat – their 24th in 35 games – condemned the Corsicans to Ligue 2 along with Angers.

Nantes, Auxerre, Brest, Strasbourg and Troyes will fight over the next month to steer clear of the two other relegation slots.