Paris Saint-Germain claim a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Marseille at the Vélodrome, extending their winning streak while condemning the hosts to a fifth consecutive defeat
Paris Saint-Germain secured a 2-1 win against Olympique de Marseille at the Vélodrome on Sunday, marking their third straight victory across all competitions. For Marseille, it was a fifth consecutive loss, deepening the crisis at the club.
The result follows PSG’s midweek Champions League success against Bratislava and their Ligue 1 win over Brest, suggesting that the Parisians’ season is finally gaining momentum. However, their performance at the Vélodrome was far from convincing, as Marseille fought until the final whistle.
Despite being outclassed on paper, Bruno Genesio’s side delivered a brave and cohesive display, but ultimately suffered their fifth defeat in six matches this season. The applause from the Marseille fans at the final whistle may have slightly eased the pain.
After four straight defeats, including in the Europa League, and with the clash against their arch-rivals seemingly more one-sided than ever, Marseille’s supporters were notably subdued for this Classique.
Dembélé struggles as Marseille start brightly
The Vélodrome was not full, and banners protesting against owner Frank McCourt were on display. In a muted atmosphere, Dimitri Payet, who kicked off the match, received the loudest cheers of any Marseille figure.
Marseille, already in the relegation zone and second from bottom at kick-off, started well, aided by a lackluster PSG performance.
Marseille, who lost Paixao to injury early on, chased the ball for much of the game, but they remained in the contest because Paris failed to make the most of their possession.
The best chance of the first half fell to Marseille, with Neal Maupay missing an unbelievable opportunity in the 36th minute. Ousmane Dembélé then missed a header in the 42nd minute, highlighting the shared profligacy in front of goal.
At half-time, the score remained 0-0, and the Vélodrome was once again proud of their team.
After the break, Dembélé, clearly not at his best, blazed a shot over from the middle of the Virage Sud in the 53rd minute. Almost a year to the day, the PSG number 10 was celebrating his Ballon d’Or while Marseille beat a PSG side that had their minds on the Théâtre du Châtelet.
The script might have repeated itself if Maupay had not missed another huge chance in the 62nd minute, just before both coaches turned to their benches, which are hardly comparable.
Gomes strikes back but Marquinhos seals it
For PSG, Luis Enrique brought on Ferran Torres, who scored in the World Cup final, while Genesio introduced Keyliane Abdallah, who has 20 professional appearances.
Unsurprisingly, the greater talent made the difference, and Paris took the lead through their Spanish world champion: a perfect cross from Désiré Doué, a perfect run, and a perfect header from Ferran Torres (1-0, 66th minute).
Marseille, however, showed the courage to believe and equalized through the much-criticized Angel Gomes, who scored after a move initiated by a Dembélé turnover, with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg involved (1-1, 72nd minute).
But the Vélodrome’s hopes lasted only two minutes, as Marquinhos, who cannot stop scoring, converted an excellent cross from Nuno Mendes at the second attempt (2-1, 74th minute).
Thereafter, Timothy Weah’s sending off (76th minute) made things easier for PSG, who controlled the game without ever putting it beyond doubt.
As the international break arrives, Paris will aim in October to climb further up the table and start resembling a double European champion. There is still time.
For Marseille, 17th in the league, there is no money, no bench, and not many points either. They will need to find some.