Paris Saint-Germain are coming out of their bad patch. Winner of the Classic against Olympique de Marseille (1-0), Sunday, October 16, during the eleventh day of Ligue 1, PSG regained the victory which had been fleeing it for three meetings in all competitions. Thanks to the only goal of Neymar, very prominent, Paris consolidates its place as leader of the championship while OM, too timid, misses the opportunity to pick up the rankings.
Between Kylian Mbappé’s departure rumors and the revelations of Médiapart on the club’s “digital army”, the atmosphere has been gloomy at PSG lately. Conversely, the positive dynamic of OM (three wins in four games) had led to believe that Marseille could steal their second success of the Qatari era at the Parc des Princes.
The victory of @PSG_inside by the numbers https://t.co/HEO75Ey4u3#The classic | #PSGOM pic.twitter.com/cHnC72pCyQ
— Ligue 1 Uber Eats (@Ligue1UberEats) October 16, 2022
The Phocaeans even had their chance in a very good end to the first period, then when they returned from the locker room, like Chancel Mbemba (38th, 50th). They could also have benefited from a penalty on a contentious hand from Nordi Mukiele (46th), after a strike from Alexis Sanchez, on which the referee Clément Turpin did not flinch.
But if Igor Tudor’s men were still alive at this time of the match, they owed it to a capital performance from Pau Lopez to disgust Lionel Messi (3rd, 4th), Hakimi (5th, 70th), Mbappé (19th, 28th ) or Verrati (61st) … When it was not the bar that repelled the free kick from the former Barcelona (35th).
But OM got drunk in this positive period and paid dearly for it. Moment chosen by Neymar, well served by Kylian Mbappé, to open the scoring just before half-time (1-0, 45th + 2). The conclusion of a well-negotiated transition when Chancel Mbemba had abandoned his post in the Marseille central defense to turn, in vain, into a makeshift striker.
Particularly good, both in attitude and in the game, Neymar even caused the expulsion of Samuel Gigot at the end of the game (72nd). Author of a violent and useless foul forty meters from his goal, the Marseille defender destroyed the last hopes of OM to come back to score. And to avoid, thus, a second consecutive defeat in Ligue 1, while a busy schedule is looming with Lens, Lyon and Monaco on the menu before the World Cup.
Even if they should have been more efficient, the Parisians have regained control in their game. Christophe Galtier’s choice to switch to four defenders and three midfielders to strengthen this sector has paid off.
PSG will have the opportunity to continue next Friday in Ajaccio and its calendar until the truce reserved for the World Cup invites optimism (apart from Lorient, three Ligue 1 matches against teams in the second part table). Football has resumed its rights in the capital, to the delight of Christophe Galtier.