Olympique Marseille vs PSG: All eyes on first Classique of the season

Bitter rivals Marseille and PSG will lock horns in the first Classique of the 2021/22 Ligue 1 season on Sunday. It’s indeed set to be a very busy Sunday for football fans around the world, as this game will also be taking place on the same day that games like the Derby del Sole (Roma-Napoli), Derby d’Italia (Inter-Juventus), El Clasico, and Manchester United vs. Liverpool.

Jorge Sampaoli’s side come into this match having ended their two match losing streak with a resounding 4-1 win over Lorient, which sees Les Olympiens sitting in third spot in the table. While Marseille have a long ways to go to catch league leaders PSG, a victory for them in this tie could see them potentially leap-frog Lens into second if the latter loses to Metz in their match.

It’ll be an interesting match, as Sampaoli will be very familiar with several of PSG’s players, especially their Argentinian contingent, having managed Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria during Argentina’s difficult run leading up to and during the 2018 World Cup. Sampaoli also reportedly endured a difficult relationship with his players, namely Messi, who repeatedly undermined his coach’s authority by pushing to be involved in team selections and vociferously expressing his opinions to the Argentina FA. Eventually, Sampaoli was forced out, just 14 months after assuming the post and now has been in his current position as Marseille manager since February 2021.

Marseille have been quite excellent in Ligue 1, overall. While defense continues to be an issue, they’ve scored 18 times thus far, but seem to struggle to replicate that same kind of attacking prowess in Europe. The latest example of this is their recent scoreless draw with Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico earlier this week, which marks the third straight draw with Marseille in their Europa League campaign. It could be a matter of being stretched too thin, as despite seeing players like Matteo Guendouzi, Arkadiusz Milik and Boubacar Kamara all grab goals during the rout of Lorient, Marseille cut a strangely subdued figure during the match against the Biancocelesti.

Indeed, Marseille have won just one of their last six games across all comps – a stat that doesn’t bode well for the arrival of PSG. That being said, they have only lost one of their last 13 games at their home ground, but haven’t beaten PSG here since November 2011. Overall, they’ve lost seven of their last eight meetings against PSG across all comps.

Although Les Parisiens did slip up to Rennes, falling to a 2-1 loss just before the international break, and had to really battle for all three points against Angers and most recently, RB Leipzig, Mauricio Pochettino’s men have lost just one of their last 13 away Ligue 1 games, with wins in 11 of those ties. In addition, Messi finally seems to be clicking with his teammates, as he was on the scoresheet twice during their recent win over Leipzig in the UCL.

Kylian Mbappe, who assisted all three goals during that tie, is looking to equal Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s record of seven goals in Classique ties, and given his young age, the 2018 World Cup winner is a sure-fire bet to equal and top that record before the season comes to a close. PSG currently find themselves in top spot, and enjoy a comfortable nine point lead over the chasing pack – so whatever the result, Les Parisiens will still be on top of the league table by the time the match ends.

However, they’ll be loath to drop points, especially against a bitter rival. For Messi, this game will be interesting as it’s his first major derby since leaving Barcelona; ironically, his former side will also be involved in a big match of their own as they take on Real Madrid. It’s the first time in over a decade that Messi won’t be part of that side, but all his attention will surely be on playing his part to help PSG get one over on their rivals and extend their lead on top of the table.

Will Marseille’s home form help them overcome their frustrating PSG hoodoo and earn a first home victory in ten years? Or will PSG, who likely will be boosted by the return of Neymar following his injury lay-off, come out on top here and give Pochettino a decisive win over his Argentinian tactical counterpart Sampaoli?