Having long set the pace in France's Ligue 1, Marseille travel to Nantes on Friday with reduced ambitions of an eventual third place finish to make the Champions League cut.

Defeats to champions Paris Saint-Germain and Bordeaux in their previous two matches have seen them slip seven points adrift of leaders Lyon on 64, while Paris have 62 in second and Monaco are third on 58.

"Coming in the top two is now unlikely," said Marseille's left-sided player Romain Alessandrini. "But with six games to go there are 18 points to play for."

Marseille have been on very poor form indeed since going into the winter break top of the table, and some might suggest they look over their shoulder at Saint-Etienne just a point behind them or Bordeaux, who trail by three.

Monaco for example have gained ten points on Marseille since New Year.

Nantes for their part need points to avoid getting sucked into a relegation battle, and while their attack is one of the worst in the league they have a solid backline.

"It's the sixth best defence in Ligue 1, they're difficult to knock off their game," suggested Marseille boss Marcelo Bielsa, whose stated objective at the start of the season was for Marseille to make the Champions League.

"I would dearly love to finish the season second or third," he said in midweek when mulling his future at the club.

His opposite number Michel Der Zakarian was worried about his side's finishing: "We need to be better in the final third," he admitted.

"We need to get past players, get good crosses in and get people in the right position to finish."

One man who looks able to finish is breakthrough Belgian striker Michy Batshuayi, who will be in the starting line for Marseille in place of Dimitri Payet, who is suspended for two games for insulting referees.