It’s a clash of first and second this Sunday in the French top-flight as first-placed Paris Saint-Germain welcomes second-placed Marseille to Parc des Princes for the 102nd Le Classique in history.
Venue: Parc des Princes (Paris).
Key Statistics
Paris Saint-Germain have won their last five home games, scoring three or more goals in three of those games while keeping three clean sheets.
The hosts have not lost at home in the league this season, winning 14 times and drawing just once.
They have conceded just eight league goals at home this season while scoring 39 times.
Marseille have the best away record in the league this season, having won ten of their 15 away games (three draws and two losses).
The visitors have won their last eight games in all competitions.
They have scored in each of their last 17 away games in all competitions.
Head to head
Both clubs have played each other in a total of 101 official matches. PSG lead in head-to-head results with 45 wins to Marseille’s 33, while the remaining 23 games ended in a draw.
However, the fixture is more balanced in Ligue 1, with each side winning on 32 occasions.
Latest performances in all competitions
PSG: W-W-L-W-L
Marseille: W-W-W-W-W
PSG
Paris Saint Germain return to Ligue 1 action with a mouth-watering top of the table clash against in-form Marseille.
Mauricio Pochettino’s men are well on course to retake their Ligue 1 crown after losing out to Lille last season.
With an 11 point gap over second-placed Marseille, this tie may have little significance to how the season pans out. However, PSG will be keen to exert their dominance over Marseille with three wins in their last five games. The reverse fixture ended in a draw, but Mauricio Pochettino will be keen for his side to continue their winning run this April after enduring a heartbreaking month of March which culminated in them crashing out of the Champions League.
Le Parisien are currently on a two-game winning streak, scoring 11 goals in the process, six of those coming in their last match against Clermont Foot.
The golden front three of Messi, Neymar and Mbappe have been firing on all cylinders in their recent victories, and much will be expected of them as they take on Jorge Sampaoli’s men.
PSG have a host of key players out injured, with the likes of Marquinhos, Ander Herrera and Angel Di Maria, the notable names on the list.
Possible PSG starting line-up
Gianluigi Donnarumma; Achraf Hakimi, Sergio Ramos , Presnel Kimpembe, Nuno Mendes; Danilo Pereira, Idrissa Gueye, Georginio Wijnaldum; Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, Neymar.
Injured: Angel di Maria, Abdou Diallo, Julian Draxler, Keylor Navas, Ander Herrera, and Layvin Kurzawa
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None
Marseille
Marseille secured a place in the semi-finals of the Europa League with a 0-1 win over PAOK in the second leg of their quarter-final clash.
Their last match at the Orange Velodrome stadium also saw them beat Montpellier to move closer to keeping pace with PSG, thanks to goals from Bamba Dieng and Cengiz Under.
Marseille are currently on eight games winning streak in all competitions and despite the gap between the two teams in terms of quality and points, Jorge Sampaoli’s men will be taking the fight to the runaway Champions as they seek to unsettle them at the top.
Jorge Sampaoli’s men are also unbeaten in their last seven games away from home, and the Argentinian coach will be expecting the same from his players as they take on the perennial league winners, knowing that a win will put them right back in the title race conversation.
One win in their last five games against PSG is not a fair reflection on how far Les Olympiens have come in recent years and they will be out to make that record better.
Konrad de la Fuente, Arkadiusz Milik and Leornado Belardi will miss the trip to the Parc des Princes.
Possible Marseille starting line-up
Pau Lopez; Valentin Rongier, William Saliba, Duje Caleta-Car, Saed Kolasinac; Matteo Guendouzi, Pape Gueye, Amine Harit, Dimitri Payet; Cedric Bakambu, Cengiz Under.
Injured: Arkadiusz Milik, Konard de la Fuente
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None
Prediction
PSG 2-2 Marseille