Marco Verratti aims for 20 Classiques
On Sunday evening at the Parc des Princes, the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder is expected to play in his 20th match against Marseille since 2012, when he arrived in the capital. No other outfield player in the history of either club can match this record!
19 matches and an exceptional record: 14 wins, 4 draws and only one defeat.
On 7 October 2012, Verratti's first Classique took place at the Stade Vélodrome, when Zlatan Ibrahimovic decided to show off his talents with by scoring a brace. After coming off at the hour mark and being replaced by Sylvain Armand, Verratti watched on from the bench as his team held Marseille to a draw (2-2).
The following season was even more memorable, with five consecutive wins despite several injuries, and matches won in Marseille, with ten against eleven despite the severe red card for Thiago Motta (2-1, 6 October 2013), then the victory the following season with a legendary goal from Blaise Matuidi (3-2, 5 April 2015) before the historic victory at the Vélodrome, in which Verratti provided his first assist against the Olympiens (5-1, 26 February 2017).
Marco Verratti is on a 4-match unbeaten streak in the fixture (three wins and a draw) - a run to be continued on Sunday evening, much to the delight of Les Rouge et Bleu fans.
