Led by the irrepressible Kylian Mbappé, Paris Saint-Germain swept aside Marseille 3-0, in a Ligue 1 Classique that more than lived up to its name!
Carried by the winds of revolt and the desire for revenge, Paris met their rival Marseille in this top of the table clash. A fierce battle between the top two in Ligue 1. Coach Christophe Galtier went with a new-look starting XI, minus Neymar Jr, Achraf Hakimi and Renato Sanches. Les Rouge et Bleu started with three central defenders in the hostile atmosphere of the Velodrome. Kylian Mbappé and Leo Messi were aligned in attack.
Then it was time for the main event! And as soon as the opening whistle blew, it was clear that every duel would be contested with ferocious intensity. Les Parisiens showed their character from the start, with a high press, speed and fluidity in transition. From Mbappé's lightning accelerations to Messi's defence-splitting runs, Verratti's ability to play out of OM’s pressing and Nuno Mendes' marauding runs, Les Rouge et Bleu set the tone from the get-go! Accustomed to setbacks in recent weeks, Paris had to deal with the early injury of Presnel Kimpembe. A real blow, which our Parisians overcame through hard-work and discipline and the excellent entrance of Danilo Pereira alongside Ramos and Marquinhos in defence.
And this incredible determination was rewarded with the opening goal as Kylian Mbappé and Léo Messi combined, showing all their science of movement in width and depth... The unstoppable No.7 then lost his markers to finish low into the side netting (0-1, 25’)! Sublime.
It was only a warning before the coup de grace. Just four minutes later, Paris double their advantage as assister and finisher swapped roles and the Frenchman set up the Argentine to make it two-nil (0-2, 29’). Paris were running rampant and could have added more as Mbappé, Messi and Marquinhos all had clear-cut chances! Les Rouge et Bleu led at the break, but there was still more to come…
After the interval, Igor Tudor's home side tried to fight back and the intensity lifted still further. But Kylian Mbappé was not to be denied and he latched onto a magnificent pass over the Marseille defence from Messi, before unleashing an unstoppable left-foot volley into the net, equalling Edinson Cavani’s all-time record total of 200 goals for Paris Saint-Germain (0-3, 55’).
Le club des 2️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ ! #OMPSG I #LeClassique pic.twitter.com/NaX1nPGVyG
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside) February 26, 2023
At 0-3, with the game won, the job turned to finishing with a clean sheet. And that's what our players did, with a united defensive performance, whether it be an inspired Marquinhos, or the iron gloved Donnarumma, who produced two wonderful saves to deny Sanchez (65’) and then Vitinha (90’).
On this Sunday evening, Christophe Galtier's men were at the summit of their art, sweeping aside their rivals and further cementing their place at the top of the standings, Marseille a distant second. It was a great match of football – one that already has its place in the pantheon of this incredible club, and in the glorious history of an exceptional player. On this night of nights, led by Mbappé, Paris vanquished the enemy.