Marseille playmaker Dimitri Payet: "We believe against Atletico because this season has shown that we are a real team.

"Those who won the Champions League in 1993 are still heroes because nobody else has done it since.

"We know how tough it is. Of course, that is an added source of motivation, and if we do win the final, our names will be written into the club's history books forever."

Atletico Madrid crashed out of this season's Champions League group stages - despite conceding only four goals.

Four draws in six games saw them finish below Roma and Chelsea - although above Qarabag - to drop into the Europa League.

They brushed aside Copenhagen and Lokomotiv Moscow, but then were made to work by Sporting Lisbon and Arsenal, ending Arsene Wenger's dream of going out on a trophy, in the past two rounds.

Marseille is only 200 miles from Lyon but it's taken them a long time to get here...

This is their 19th game in this season's Europa League (half the length of the Ligue 1 campaign), a run which started in July.

They had to come past Oostende and Domzale in two qualifying rounds to get into the group stages.

The French side only clinched their last-32 place in the final round of group games, finishing below Red Bull Salzburg and two points above Konyaspor.

In the knockout rounds, they have seen off Braga, Athletic Bilbao, RB Leipzig and Salzburg again.

Tom, Newcastle: I'm in the band where I feel like clubs shouldn't really even come down from the Champions league after the group stage. Just seems odd that a team gets that opportunity at that stage in the competition but then not again at the quarters or semis or whatever. Either scrap it or let all Champions League teams fall down into the Europa league and scrap any sort of qualifying from domestic leagues.

Jon, Manchester: Do Marseille already qualify for CL if they lose as Atletico are already qualified through their league position?

No, you have to win the final itself to qualify

The winners of the Europa League qualify automatically for the Champions League group stages.

Atletico Madrid are already guaranteed a top four finish in La Liga.

But Marseille are one point behind France's top three going into the final day - so may well need to win this to qualify.

So what's the reason Monaco and Lyon will be cheering on Atletico?

If the Europa League holders qualify for the group stage through their league, their Champions League group spot will go to third place in France (just coincidental, it's got nothing to do with a French team being in this final).

Otherwise third place, currently Lyon, have to go into the qualifiers.

James Horncastle
Journalist on BBC Radio 5 live Euro Leagues Football Show

This Marseille side is very interesting. They contrast with Atletico Madrid. We all know what we’ll get from Atleti – they’re a gritty, great defensive side with good attacking players. But Marseille are ‘all in’ and go out for the attack.

They know they can’t sit back and defend and hold a lead. Rudi Garcia’s sides aren't like that. They’ll be measured with a degree of balance but they have players with a point to prove – we all know what Dimitri Payet did in England. But other players like Florian Thauvin at Newcastle [didn't do well].

Listen to the show here.

Atletico Madrid striker Antoine Griezmann has scored 110 goals for his club - but has surprisingly never won a major trophy.

Not including the 2010 Spanish Second Division with Real Sociedad, the 2014 Spanish Super Cup with Atletico or the European Under-19 Championship with France in 2010...

The 27-year-old has never played first-team football in his native France, having joined Real Sociedad's youth team in his early teens.

He has forged a good partnership with Diego Costa since his return from Chelsea.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Premier League fans who don't pay much attention to French football might be shocked to know that Newcastle flop Florian Thauvin is an absolute sensation.

The 25-year-old has scored 22 league goals - behind only Edinson Cavani - despite playing out wide on the right.

In all competitions, he has scored 26 goals and made 18 assists this season.

Former West Ham favourite Dimitri Payet has assisted 24 goals - and scored 10 himself.

Former West Ham midfielder Dimitri Payet captains Marseille, with the Frenchman among four ex-Premier League players in the starting 11.

Former Crystal Palace goalkeeper Steve Mandanda plays, as does Jordan Amavi, once of Aston Villa, and Florian Thauvin, previously at Newcastle.

Another couple of Premier League ledges - Clinton N’Jie and Kostas Mitroglou - are on the bench.

Marseille: Mandanda, Sarr, Rami, Gustavo, Amavi, Zambo, Sanson, Thauvin, Payet, Ocampos, Germain. Subs: Pele, Sakai, Kamara, Rolando, Mitroglou, N'Jie, Lopez.

Former Chelsea striker Diego Costa leads the line for Atletico Madrid, but Fernando Torres is on the bench.

Antoine Griezmann, Saul Niguez and Angel Correa all start. Filipe Luis is on the bench, with Lucas Hernandez at left-back.

Atletico Madrid: Oblak, Vrsaljko, Gimenez, Godin, Lucas, Correa, Gabi, Saul, Koke, Griezmann, Costa. Subs: Werner, Filipe Luis, Thomas, Torres, Savic, Juanfran, Gameiro.

Julien Laurens
French football expert on BBC Radio 5 live

Marseille seem really chilled, the pressure is on Atletico Madrid and rightly so. They have amazed everyone, they have defied the odd all season. They have had a domestic season that is pretty good, no one expected them to go this far in the Europa League. They can surprise Atletico, and I really believe Atletico can’t take them lightly or they could be in for an upset.

Listen to the Euro Leagues Football Show podcast here.

Marseille captain Dimitri Payet starts despite a thigh problem and Bouna Sarr is fit after a dislocated shoulder. Atletico Madrid are at full strength with Antoine Griezmann and Diego Costa up front.

Full team to follow.

Eddie Oliveria: I would prefer my team to not get pummeled in the last 16 of the UCL to start off with, but if I must choose, then I would say lose in the last 16 of UCL than dropping to Europa because just knowing they would reach the final don't guarantee they will win the trophy. This will be an entertaining match. Atleti will win of course, but it will be more open that people think. Final score prediction: Atleti 2-1 OM.

Marcus Bridgland: as a Liverpool fan I guess I don't need to choose either, but our Europa League run a couple years ago was brilliant, best run of games I've seen at Anfield (prior to this season of course) - we played Dortmund, Man Utd etc, all big teams and support

Image source, Getty Images

Atletico Madrid are looking for their third success in this tournament, having also lifted the Europa League in 2010 and 2012.

They also won the 1962 Cup Winners' Cup.

But they are disappointed to be here really - having reached two of the last five Champions League finals - losing both to Real Madrid.

This is their ninth European final in total - having also lost the 1974 European Cup and 1963 and 1986 Cup Winners' Cups - the latter in Lyon.

Image source, Getty Images

Marseille are one of only two French teams to have won a European trophy, and they are looking to become the first to win two different cups.

They won the first ever Champions League, in 1993, amid plenty of controversy as they were demoted to France's second division for bribing a referee in the league. They were not stripped of the European Cup - but were not allowed to defend it the following season.

Marseille have lost two Uefa Cup (the old name for the Europa League) finals - in 1999 to Parma and 2004 to Valencia. They also lost the 1991 European Cup final to Red Star Belgrade.

Two other French sides have lost Uefa Cup finals - Bastia in 1978 and Bordeaux in 1996.

Paris St-Germain are the other team to win a European trophy, the now-defunct Cup Winners' Cup in 1996.

Atletico Madrid's run to the final has got me thinking...

As a supporter would you prefer your team qualify from the Champions League group stages and go out in the last 16, or are you better off dropping into the Europa League if you knew your side would reach the final?

Would Besiktas, Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk, Basel etc fans have preferred a trip to Lyon today than a Champions League pummeling in February. Or Spurs even in their search for a trophy? Maybe slightly different for Chelsea and Manchester United as they've won this tournament recently.

Let us know using #bbcfootball on Twitter or by texting 81111 (UK only).

Two very different routes.

Marseille have been in this tournament since July, coming through two qualifying rounds before even getting to the group stages.

Atletico Madrid only joined the party in February after being bombed out of the Champions League.

Only one thing is certain - one of these teams will be named the 2017-18 Europa League champions tonight in Lyon.