PSG asserted their dominance in 3-0 victory over Marseille
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) asserted their dominance in Ligue 1 with a decisive 3-0 victory over Marseille at the Stade Velodrome on Sunday. This result cemented PSG’s position at the top of the league, pushing them three points clear after second-place Monaco suffered their first defeat of the season. The highly anticipated first Classique of the season quickly turned one-sided as PSG raced to a three-goal lead, effectively securing the game before halftime.
The game’s tempo was set early on when Joao Neves pounced on an error from Marseille’s goalkeeper, Geronimo Rulli, to open the scoring just seven minutes in. Marseille’s situation worsened in the 20th minute when midfielder Amine Harit was shown a straight red card for a high challenge on Marquinhos. Playing with ten men, Marseille struggled to contain PSG’s relentless attack, and their night took another unfortunate turn when their captain, Leonardo Balerdi, accidentally turned the ball into his own net, gifting PSG their second goal. Bradley Barcola then added a third before the break, capitalizing on a well-constructed play by Ousmane Dembele to score his eighth goal of the season.
Following the match, PSG’s coach Luis Enrique praised his team’s performance, calling it a “positive result” and dedicating the win to PSG fans, particularly due to the significance of the Classique rivalry. He acknowledged that Harit’s red card shifted the game’s momentum heavily in PSG’s favor, making it difficult for Marseille to mount any substantial comeback.
Marseille, led by coach Roberto De Zerbi, entered the match with high hopes of challenging PSG for the top spot. However, De Zerbi expressed disappointment in his team’s performance, particularly in their lack of “courage and personality” prior to Harit’s dismissal. The loss extended Marseille’s winless streak against PSG at home in Ligue 1, marking their 12th straight league game without a home victory over their rivals.
Elsewhere in Ligue 1, Monaco missed the chance to overtake PSG at the top of the table, falling 2-1 to their local rivals, Nice. Monaco initially led through Breel Embolo’s first-half goal but was undone by two second-half mistakes. Evann Guessand scored the equalizer for Nice in first-half stoppage time, and Monaco’s hopes of recovery dwindled further when defender Vanderson received a second yellow card. Gaetan Laborde capitalized on Monaco’s defensive error in the 71st minute, sealing the victory for Nice.
The matchday also saw Lyon draw 2-2 with Auxerre, with Georges Mikautadze’s two goals ultimately matched by efforts from Sinaly Diomande and Hamed Traore. Strasbourg climbed to the top half of the table with a 3-1 win over Nantes, courtesy of Andrey Santos’s brace and Dilane Bakwa’s goal. Meanwhile, Toulouse cruised to a 3-0 victory over Montpellier, spurred by Zakaria Aboukhlal’s quick double within the first ten minutes.
PSG’s commanding win over Marseille and Monaco’s unexpected loss have reshaped the Ligue 1 standings, solidifying PSG as the team to beat. With a three-point cushion, PSG now hold a clear advantage as they aim to defend their title in a season where competition is intense across the board.
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