April 1, (THEWILL)- In a pulsating 107th edition of Le Classique, Paris Saint-Germain defied being a man down to claim a 2-0 victory over Olympique de Marseille at the Stade Vélodrome. This result marked the first time any side has won at the Vélodrome in any competition this season.
The home fans were buzzing, having not witnessed their team lose on home turf all campaign. However, league leaders PSG’s unbeaten away record positioned them as favourites. Marseille had a lucky escape early on when Fabián Ruiz squandered a glorious chance, spurring the hosts into creating opportunities of their own, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Jordan Veretout going close.
Despite Marseille’s advantage as hosts, PSG’s individual quality nearly unlocked the lead. Ousmane Dembélé was at the heart of it, playing through Randal Kolo Muani and embarking on a mazy run himself, only to miss the target. The hosts gained a numerical advantage before halftime when Lucas Beraldo received his marching orders for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Luis Enrique’s bold decision to not reinforce defensively at halftime paid dividends as Vitinha drove forward to bury the opener shortly after the restart. Marseille had a goal disallowed before chances for Faris Moumbagna and Aubameyang went begging. Their wastefulness proved costly as PSG hit them on the break, with Gonçalo Ramos firing in the second goal.
This sixth win in seven head-to-heads sees PSG continue their cruise towards a 10th Ligue 1 title in 12 seasons while ending Marseille’s 19-match unbeaten home run stretching back to last season.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
