Preview: Paris Saint-Germain vs. Marseille
Le Classique takes center stage in Ligue 1 this weekend as arch-rivals Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille lock horns at Parc des Princes on Sunday evening.
PSG secured a 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League last time out, while Marseille served up a thrilling 3-3 draw with Ajax in the Europa League on Thursday.
It would not be unfair to say that Paris Saint-Germain has made a below-par start to the season, as the perennial Ligue 1 champions find themselves fifth in the table after five matches, having recorded two wins, two draws and one loss so far.
After being held by Lorient and Toulouse at the beginning of the campaign, Luis Enrique’s side secured back-to-back victories to ignite their season, claiming a 3-1 win against Lens before crushing Lyon 4-1, with Kylian Mbappe bagging a brace in each victory.
However, Les Parisiens suffered their first defeat of the campaign when they returned from the international break, enduring a 3-2 home loss against Nice last weekend, meaning that Mbappe’s third successive double ultimately counted for nothing.
Mbappe found the back of the net once again as PSG eased past Borussia Dortmund in their opening Champions League clash, taking his tally for the season to eight goals in five games across all competitions, while Achraf Hakimi completed the scoring on Tuesday.
Although PSG have dominated each and every opponent this term, there is no hiding the fact that Henrqiue’s men have failed to make the most of their superiority in recent matches, so Les Parisiens will be eager to lay down a marker against their oldest rivals.
Preview: PSG vs. Marseille – prediction, team news, lineups
Marseille enter Sunday’s showdown on the back of a crazy 3-3 draw against Ajax in the Europa League, as the visitors came from 2-0 down and then 3-2 down to snatch a point in Amsterdam, thanks largely to a brace from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Thursday’s result means that Marseille have lost just one of their eight matches across all competitions this season, with a penalty-shootout defeat against Panathinaikos blotting their copybook last month.
Thanks to a run of two wins and three draws in Ligue 1, Marseille remain unbeaten in domestic competition this term, while Les Olympiens also boast the joint-best defensive record in the French top flight, having conceded just four goals in five games.
Despite the success on the pitch, things are far from settled behind the scenes, as manager Marcelino resigned earlier this week after only three months in charge, with supporters reportedly threatening the club’s hierarchy during a recent meeting.
Former Marseille defender Jacques Abardonado – who played for OM between 1998 and 2001 – will lead the team on an interim basis until a new permanent manager is appointed, with the caretaker boss jumping in at the deep end as Le Classique looms.
Paris Saint-Germain Ligue 1 form:
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Paris Saint-Germain form (all competitions):
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Marseille Ligue 1 form:
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Marseille form (all competitions):
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We say: Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 Marseille
Given that 14 of the last 20 meetings between PSG and Marseille have produced at least three goals, Sunday’s installment of Le Classique will likely be a high-scoring affair.
It is also worth noting that Marseille have managed to win just two of their previous 28 matches against PSG across all competitions, so we expect the hosts to claim the bragging rights once again.