Marseille coach Didier Deschamps has challenged his improving team to complete a sequence of three wins in eight days when they take on Dijon in Ligue 1 on Sunday.

Marseille were 4-0 winners against Ligue 2 side Lens in the Coupe de la Ligue last night, while on Saturday they posted a 2-0 league victory over Ajaccio.

The cruel blow of conceding a last-minute winner to Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey in the UEFA Champions League last week looks to have spurred Marseille rather than disoriented them.

Goals from Andre-Pierre Gignac, Jordan Ayew and Loic Remy, who netted twice, saw off Lens in front of a crowd of 17,972 at the Stade Velodrome and guided Marseille into the cup quarter-finals.

When I look at the spirit of my players before the match, it's very positive. What I see on and off the pitch gives me more strength.
Didier Deschamps, Marseille coach

Deschamps gave fringe players a chance to impress last night, and said: "It's a different competition but it's the first time we've won two games in a row.

"It's good for confidence and for the people who came to the stadium, I think they enjoyed it. On Saturday, we go to Dijon, and given our situation we need to back it up."

Marseille have crept ahead of Dijon in Ligue 1, with goal difference separating the mid-table teams, but they have aspirations to be again challenging for a Champions League place, so need to keep improving.

Six goals and two victories have raised spirits at the club, and they now want to add another success before travelling to London next week to face Arsenal again.

Rotation to continue
Deschamps could not hide his satisfaction at the recent goal haul, and the successive clean sheets. "Yes, and with a different team and goalkeeper," he said on the club's website. "Compared to the last match I changed six players, so that everyone feels involved.

"We have a run of matches every three or four days, so there's fatigue, minor injuries, and it's good that everyone has been able to participate and some have been able to rest with a view to the match on Saturday.

"The team at Dijon certainly won't be the same as tonight, and it will again be different at Arsenal. When I look at the spirit of my players before the match, it's very positive. What I see on and off the pitch gives me more strength."