PSG completely dominated OM this Sunday evening at the Vélodrome. There was no match and the Parisians finally won 3-0 after slowing down in the second half in a completely controlled match. Paris is once again leader of Ligue 1.
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There was no Classic. PSG played the same music at OM as during the last confrontations between the two best enemies in the Championship.France. A clear victory, the result of domination in the game and a harsh refereeing decision with the expulsion of Amine Harit in the 20th minute after a poorly controlled intervention and a slightly high foot on Marquinhos. But summarizing the Parisian victory with this red card which will give food for thought to fans of post-match debates would be simplistic. Because instead of an announced tactical battle between Luis Enrique and Roberto De Zerbi, the Vélodrome simply observed PSG developing its territorial domination.
From the start of the match, the capital’s players showed themselves to be more dangerous, higher up the pitch. Well helped by Ousman Dembélé, author of a very good match in a surprising position in the heart of the game, often inserted between the midfielder and the Marseille defense, very fair technically and tactically. And if Paris has struggled to achieve its domination during its last matches, this was not the case this Sunday evening. After a good shift found on the left, Nuno Mendes crossed hard on the ground behind. A not firm enough hand from Geronimo Rulli allowed Joao Neves to open the scoring in the 7th minute and somewhat overwhelm a well-filled Vélodrome.
While the Marseille affair was already off to a bad start, Leonardo Balerdi finished heavily penalizing his team, who had just been reduced to 10 against 11. On a fairly innocuous cross from Achraf Hakimi, he intervened with the tip of his foot right in front of his goalkeeper, taking him on the wrong foot and propelling the ball into his own goal (29th). Bradley Barcola then added the final nail to the coffin before half-time on a caviar serve from Dembélé (40th).
Rabiot, first Classic under the colors of OM with a bitter taste
Parisian supporters will have three good reasons to rejoice. For victory in this very special match, always surrounded by additional pressure, obviously. On an accounting level, too, Paris made a good move by regaining the lead in Ligue 1, taking advantage of Monaco’s defeat in Nice. And finally, the icing on the cake, they will delight in the crestfallen look of Adrien Rabiot, seen after the third goal conceded by the Azuréens. The Parisian child, who played for so long in the blue and red jersey, whose signing in Marseille this summer was very badly received by lovers of the capital club, lived a nightmare for his first Classic on the other side of the barrier. The Parisian midfield was ultra-dominant, like a goalscoring Joao Neves, a clever Dembélé in his placement, or a leggy Zaire-Emery. The luxury pair Rabiot-Hojbjerg, announced as a major asset on the Olympian side, did not weigh in the balance. Or at least not enough.
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In any case, once the 50th minute passed, we understood that everyone involved in the match was waiting for the final whistle. Apart from the very demanding Luis Enrique, who scolded his men until the end, and who was annoyed by a few missed opportunities, like that of Fabian Ruiz who sent the ball into the stands while the goal was open (80th) . But the history of this match will not remember these actions, which will be relayed in details. What will remain is OM, once again powerless against their sworn enemy, against whom they have not scored at home in Ligue 1 since 2017. Even if this evening, it would have taken much more than a goal to hope to win.