Paris stun OM to win Le Classique
Despite playing with a man less for most of the game, Paris Saint-Germain won Le Classique against their great rivals after an electric 0-2 victory. Here's a look back at the hard-fought win.
What better way to get back into action after a busy international break played out in all four corners of the world than Le Classique? That is exactly what the Parisians had in store for them this Easter weekend. Travelling to the Velodrome to take on their historic rivals, Luis Enrique's men are entering the final stretch of the season with some huge games on the horizon. The Spanish coach went for another attacking starting line-up for this first big fixture.
When it comes to the Classique, league tables go out the window, and it soon became obvious that there would be electricity in the air, as there always is against this Olympique de Marseille team. The first duels, the first contacts, the first choices of pass set the scene. The chances, too, began to rain down in the apocalyptic weather, from the Parisians' first moment of brilliance when Randal Kolo Muani rushed in (4') to their opponents' first, who put pressure on Gigio Donnarumma for the rest of the first quarter of an hour.
Once the storm had passed, both literally and figuratively, Luis Enrique's side had the clear intention of regaining control of proceedings to curb the lively Marseille. More than the stakes or the tension, it was the game itself that would do the trick. Confident, solid and determined, our Red and Blues quickly set up camp in their opponents' half to construct their play. This led to a number of interesting situations, such as Ousmane Dembélé's dribbling runs that sent Marseille's defence into a tailspin (30').
However, there was another hurdle in the way, as Lucas Beraldo was harshly sent off in an ambiguous situation just before half-time (41'). Forced to play with fewer men for more than a half, our Red and Blues had to draw on their mental resources to overcome this adversity.
It took a lot of personality, and it was clear from the way the Red and Blues surged forward after the break that they were determined to put pressure on their opponents. A surge of power that quickly bore fruit. It was Vitinha who quietened the Marseille crowd with a superb team move. The Portuguese started and finished a brilliant counter-attack with the help of Ousmane Dembélé, taking advantage of the Frenchman's pull-back to slot past past Pau Lopez into the top corner (0-1, 52'). Clean and crisp.
True to their principles, the Parisians obviously had no intention of slowing down. The nature of the match just didn't allow for that. Luis Enrique injected fresh blood by bringing on Kang In Lee, then Marco Asensio, Gonçalo Ramos and Manuel Ugarte. Marseille obviously tried to fight back, but the Parisians showed great commitment in putting out fires all over the pitch. It was time to resist, until the final whistle. From the counter-pressing of the forwards to the extreme concentration of the defenders, everyone threw everything they had into the battle.
No matter how hard Gasset's men pushed, there was always a head, a leg or a foot to stop them, and Donnarumma was imperious right to the end. Despite being outnumbered, the Parisians never gave up and went on to claim a tasty victory on their rivals' turf. Even better, they managed to round off the party with a second rapid-fire attack finished off by a clinical Gonçalo Ramos (0-2, 85').
At the end of a lively Classique, Paris Saint-Germain returned to the competition as they left it, with another victory. What an excellent way to kickstart a very exciting spring.