Paris resist and hold Marseille to a draw!
In a Classique that was very open but without a winner, Paris Saint-Germain had to settle for a draw against Olympique de Marseille on Matchday 11 of Ligue 1 (0-0). A look back at the match.
An encounter that was broadcast across the world, a dream cast and a hostile arena: it was a fiery Classique that was on the cards to bring Matchday 11 of Ligue 1 to a close. After an almost perfect start to the season in terms of points, Les Parisiens went up against their rivals with the firm intention of strengthening their lead at the top of the table. For the encounter, Mauricio Pochettino opted for the immense attacking quartet of Neymar Jr, Angel Di Maria, Leo Messi and Kylian Mbappé.
In a volcanic atmosphere, the 22 actors on the pitch quickly set the scene: the battle at the top of the league would offer an incredible spectacle, both physically and tactically! And although the rivalry was quickly on show in every duel, the domination was to be for the men from the capital in the first half. Les Parisiens thought they had taken the lead through Neymar Jr, but he was eventually flagged offside before Luan Peres had turned his cross into his own net (15'). And it didn't take long for Les Marseillais to take advantage of the disappointment to take the lead, but Milik's goal was also then ruled out for offside (20').
With the score back at 0-0, Mauricio Pochettino's side looked to attack again. The match had everything... excellent chances like Messi's header (26'), the efforts from Mbappé and then Neymar Jr that were denied by the goalkeeper (31'). And then came the drama: Marco Verratti was forced off through injury and Achraf Hakimi was sent off on the hour mark. From then on, the visitors were going to need to pay extra attention and demonstrate extreme mental strength as they dealt with a home side's onslaught for more than half an hour!
Forced to review their attacking game plan, the men from the capital didn't give anything to Sampaoli's side. Without Verratti, Hakimi and Di Maria who were all initially in the plans and despite the numerical disadvantage, Les Rouge et Bleu left absolutely nothing for the home side, who are still to win at the Vélodrome in more than a decade.
Despite several chances in the final fifteen minutes, the two rivals cancelled each other out until the final whistle. Paris remain at the top of the league after Matchday 11 of Ligue 1, with a lead of 10 points over the evening's opposition.