Cissé steps up to mark for Marseille

Djibril Cissé has said he is "on track" to deliver the 20 goals he promised to score this season after striking for the fourth time in three games on Saturday night as Olympique de Marseille overcame Ligue 1 high-fliers Valenciennes FC 3-1.

'Found confidence'
Some might think Cissé a little optimistic as his two goals against Valenciennes, finishing after a 45-metre run to break the deadlock on 28 minutes and adding a header with a quarter of an hour left, were only his fourth and fifth of the season. "I feel like I can still do it," said the 26-year-old forward. "I'm back at my usual level. I found my legs. I have found confidence again and it makes the difference."

Chance taken
The French international, who joined from Liverpool FC 18 months ago, has not been the first choice in attack this season having played second fiddle to Senegal striker Mamadou Niang. However, with Niang now at the Africa Cup of Nations, Cissé has stepped into the breach. Since the start of the new year, he has scored in the French Cup and then last weekend, in Marseille's defeat by Stade Rennais FC.

International ambition
"I never had doubt in my mind," Cissé said. "I don't know what that word means. But I know that work pays off." Realising Niang would be unavailable for at least a month, Cissé had prepared intensively, knowing he had to take his chance to get back into France coach Raymond Domenech's plans for UEFA EURO 2008™. Although the likes of Thierry Henry, Karim Benzema and Nicolas Anelka are ahead of 35-time capped Cissé in the pecking order, he refuses to give up, adding: "I'm a candidate, I always have been and now I'm back to fitness."

UEFA Cup run
A good European run would also help Cissé's bid to cement a place in Les Bleus' squad for the summer. After finishing third in UEFA Champions League Group A, Marseille will play FC Spartak Moskva in the UEFA Cup Round of 32. The club has got a good recent record in the competition and were led to the final in 2004 by one Didier Drogba, a striker Cissé will look to emulate.

Climbing the league
For now, though, his sights are on a tricky trip to high-flying AS Nancy-Lorraine on 23 January. "We need to bring something back from Nancy," said Cissé. "We need a series of good games to move up the table." Even with Saturday's win against a side fifth in the standings Marseille sit tenth in Ligue 1, a long way off the lofty heights they targeted before the season started. "If we can maintain our performance against Valenciennes over a number of games, we won't be far from that," Cissé added.