Good afternoon and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage from the Stade Velodrome where Marseille welcome Reims in Ligue 1 action.

This should be a great encounter. I know we are only 10 games into the season, but both these sides need a win here today. Marseille and Reims have been in sluggish form as of late, and really need to rediscover their spark and quickly.

Marseille won their opening three matches of the season and sat top at the end of August. However, they have since crumbled in certain games, losing to both Paris Saint-Germain and AS Monaco, as well as enduring a somewhat embarrassing Champions League campaign with defeats to Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund and Napoli. Marseille also lost their last game to Nice last weekend, and are looking for their first win in nearly a month.

Reims haven't fared much better either. After back-to-back wins in August, Reims drew their next six Ligue 1 games before losing that eight-match unbeaten streak with a loss against Toulouse last weekend. While they have given impressive performances during those matches, most notably against Monaco, they do need to up their game in order to avoid dropping into a relegation dogfight.

A win for Marseille would move them to fourth and into the Europa League spot, while victory for Reims would push them back into the top half.

Right, before I bring you any more, let's give you the team news.

MARSEILLE XI: Mandanda, Abdallah, Diawara, N’Koulou, Mendy, Romao, A.Ayew, Thauvin, Valbuena, Payet, Khalifa

Elie Baup has made five changes to the side that were beaten at Nice last weekend.

Rod Fanni, Lucas Mendes, Jeremy Morel, Giannelli Imbula and Andre-Pierre Gignac all drop out of the starting lineup, and Kassim Abdallah, Souleymane Diawara, Benjamin Mendy, Dimitri Payet and Saber Khalifa all come into the team.

Dimitri Payet returns from a suspension, with Andre Ayew playing his last game before serving a three-match ban, while Rod Fanni and Lucas Mendes remain out injured.

And for the substitutes.

MARSEILLE BENCH: Samba, Morel, Cheyrou, Imbula, Lemina, J.Ayew, Gignac

A number of attacking options for Marseille, now let's take a gander at Reims.

REIMS XI: Agassa, Signorino, Tacalfred, Mandi, Weber, Krychowiak, Oniangue, Albaek, De Preville, Courtet, Ayite

Hubert Fournier has gone for two alterations to the Reims team that were beaten 2-1 at Toulouse last time out.

Antoine Deaux and Gaetan Charbonnier drop out of the starting lineup, with Grzegorz Krychowiak and Gaetan Courtet replacing them.

And now for the bench.

REIMS BENCH: Placide, Fofana, Turan, Atar, Ca, Peuget, Charbonnier

The two teams are in the tunnel.

Reims have not won at the Stade Velodrome in the top flight since 1977, so this is a massive ask for the Champagne club.

Both sides are now making their way out onto the field. Marseille in their traditional all-white home kit, while Reims sport an all-black away strip.

Right, we're near enough ready to go. Marseille will have kick off.

KICK OFF! Marseille, playing from left to right, get the first half started.

It's a really sunny day at the Stade Velodrome, and Reims have the first corner of the match as N'Koulou puts the cross behind.

Easily dealt with by Marseille as Mendy runs the ball out of defence following a touch off the referee. Les Phoceens now have a free kick in a crossing position.

The cross comes in from Valbuena and it's a bit of a scramble as Ayew's header takes a deflection, but Agassi can dive on the ball.

Reims break downfield and have another corner on the right, Marseille can again deal with it before Valbuena draws the foul from Signorino.

Corner for Marseille now following Khalifa's mazy run into the box.

Again, the corner isn't great, and the defending side can hack it clear.

Two little stats for you. Firstly, coming into this match, Mathieu Valbuena has failed to score in his last 1484 minutes at the Stade Velodrome. They will need a good display from him today.

And a more worrying one, there has only been two goals scored between these two sides in their last five meetings.

CHANCE! Marseille should be in front. Ayew is passed to on the left side of the box, and he runs across the edge of the area, faking several shots to beat defenders, before prodding the ball to Valbuena on the far side of the six-yard box. He hits a shot first time, but it flashes across the face of goal and goes wide. That should have been 1-0.

CLOSE! Payet goes on a dribble and cuts in from the left side of the box and lofts a shot towards the far top corner, but it can't quite bend into the corner and heads out for a throw.

Agassi called into action again, as Payet hits a caterpillar-killer effort from the edge of the box. He has been kept busy so far this match.

Reims have another corner, this time from the left, but N'Koulou can clear.

No chances to report on in the past few minutes, it's Marseille asking all the questions at the moment though. Reims have a number of bodies back, but they aren't marking particularly well.

SAVE! Agassi is at it once more. Valbuena feeds Thauvin on the right side of the box, and he tries to lob Agassi with a chip towards the far top corner. However, Agassi can get a palm to it and claw the ball away. He's had a great game so far.

CHANCE! Marseille again have a great opportunity to take the lead but fail to take it. Thauvin cuts inside on the edge of the box, but pings a shot over the bar.

You feel that Marseille need to take one of these chances before long to avoid a Reims sucker punch.

GOAL DISALLOWED! Everyone things that Marseille have finally gone in front, cue wild celebrations. Thauvin's free kick is headed home by Diawara, but his joy turns to despair as he sees that he has been deemed offside.

YELLOW CARD Romao picks up a stupid booking for tugging down Krychowiak after he had been beaten for pace.

Good chance here for Reims.

You just knew this would happen. Reims lead against the run of play following Ayite's free kick from 25 yards out on the left of the box. It takes a huge deflection off the wall which leaves Mandanda stranded, and bobbles into the far corner.

There was the 'sucker punch' I was talking about.

Let's see how Marseille respond. Things just seem to get worse and worse for them at the moment, they've dominated this match but somehow trail.

Unbelievable. Marseille are now two goals down in the space of three minutes. The corner is played to the edge of the box where Albaek guides it with power on his left foot through a crowded area and into the top corner.

Isn't that just football. Marseille dominate the opening 30 minutes, fail to take their chances, and now trail 2-0 before the break.

Marseille chairman Vincent Labrune gave his public backing to manager Elie Baup prior to the match. But with Marseille on their to losing at home to Reims for the first time since 1977, will his views change?

De Preville is fractions away from getting a touch to turn home a cross inside the six-yard box. Instead it goes right through and behind for a goal kick.

Marseille are pushing everyone forward, desperately trying to get one before the break.

Well, well, well, I don't think many would have expected that. But that first half was a perfect example of if you fail to take your chances, it will come back to bite you.

Marseille squandered a number of opportunities and should have been in front on a number of occasions. However, two goals in three minutes have got Reims on course for their first win in Ligue 1 at the Stade Velodrome in 36 years. Floyd Ayite and Mads Albaek with the goals.

Let's take a look at the half-time stats.

Match statistics:

Marseille:
Shots 6
On target 2
Possession 51%
Corners 4
Fouls 6

Reims:
Shots 5
On target 2
Possession 49%
Corners 4
Fouls 6

The teams are back out at the Stade Velodrome. A lot to do for the hosts.

KICK OFF! Reims, playing from left to right, get the second half underway.

Could this possibly be Elie Baup's last 45 minutes in charge of Marseille?

Baup does have Andre-Pierre Gignac and Jordan Ayew as attacking options on his bench.

Valbuena's cross from the left is blocked, and he wins a corner.

Valbuena takes it, and it flies straight through the box and out for a goal kick.

What most be most frustrating for Baup is that his side dominated the opening 30 minutes, and then completely fell apart after conceding.

Marseille have started this second half on top, but have failed to create any clear-cut chances yet.

Diawara pops up free on the edge of the box, but spoons a shot wide. That about sums up the mood in the Marseille camp right now.

Game on! Florian Thauvin controls the ball on the edge of the box, glides past two players before slamming a low shot back across goal and into the bottom corner at the far post. Can they mount a comeback?

Worrying signs for Reims as Krychowiak and Payet clash heads as they both go to the ball, leaving the former sprawled across the floor with blood pouring from his face. He is now receiving treatment on the side of the field.

Agassi brings down Khalifa in the box while going for the ball, but the offside flag was quickly up to cool any protests of a penalty.

Krychowiak is back on sporting a huge bandage wrapped around his forehead.

YELLOW CARD Benjamin Mendy goes into the book for holding back Ayite.

CLOSE! Thauvin nearly draws Marseille level with a first time shot from a long ball over the top, but it takes a deflection off Weber and goes over the bar.

Marseille are knocking on the door once more, Reims holding their own at the moment.

Marseille with all the ball right now, Reims doing well to contain them, but you smell an equaliser.

Payet pulls off a wonderful Maradona turn before going on to win the corner. The set-piece isn't quite as good, and Reims can clear.

Khalifa tries a rather ambitious bicycle kick inside the box, but fails to make any decent connection to the cross.

CLOSE! Andre Ayew has a low drive from the edge of the box which beats Agassi, but it flies just past the far post. Fractions away.

MARSEILLE CHANGE The second Ayew brother is on, as Jordan replaces Valbuena. His wait for a goal at home goes on.

SAVE! Warning shot for Marseille as Albaek goes on a great individual run before forcing Mandanda into a fine stop.

A bizarre moment as Andre Ayew things he has got Marseille level, however, the ball had gone out of play before the cross came in for Ayew to head in.

REIMS CHANGE A change of the Gaetan's as Charbonnier comes on for Courtet.

MARSEILLE CHANGES One final throw of the dice from Baup as he brings on Andre-Pierre Gignac and Mario Lemina for Abdullah and Payet.

Marseille piling forward again, but Reims just aren't budging from their perch right now.

CHANCE! Fabulous opportunity for Reims to seal the game as the ball is chipped over a high Marseille backline to De Preville on the right of the box. He allows the ball to bounce before slamming a shot into the side-netting. That could be costly.

They're level! Marseille find an equaliser through the substitute. Reims fail to clear a cross and it falls to Gignac on the edge of the box. He unleashes a low strike which takes a deflection off the shin of a Reims player on its way into the bottom corner.

REIMS CHANGE Ca is on for Albaek, presumably to hold on to this point.

Marseille going all out for a winner now. Gignac has it on the edge of the box and looks as if he may find that goal, but his shot is blocked and cleared.

We will have three minutes of added time.

This is remarkable! Having got themselves level, Marseille are now behind in stoppage time. A cross from the right makes its way to an unmarked Oniangue, who puts a diving header in the corner beyond Mandanda.

Could that be the goal that puts Elie Baup out of a job? Time will tell.

Wow. What a finish. Thauvin and Gignac strike to cancel out goals from Ayite and Albaek, before Oniangue heads a dramatic late winner for Reims.

Let's take a look at the full-time stats.

Match statistics:

Marseille:
Shots 18
On target 7
Possession 53%
Corners 8
Fouls 12

Reims:
Shots 9
On target 4
Possession 47%
Corners 5
Fouls 16

Well that's all from this match, but I will have match reports from all of tonight's Ligue 1 games later on Sports Mole.