Marseille vs. PSG: Team News, Predicted Line-Ups, Live Stream, TV Info

Olympique de Marseille host bitter rivals Paris Saint-Germain at Stade Velodrome on Sunday in the fixture known as Le Classique in France.

The biggest fixture on the Ligue 1 calendar just got bigger; the result of this clash could prove to be a deciding factor in the race for this season’s title in Le Championnat.

Date: Sunday, April 5

Time: 8 p.m. BST (9 p.m. CET)/3 p.m. ET

Venue: Stade Velodrome, Marseille

TV Info: BT Sport 1 (UK), Canal+ (France) and beIN Sports (USA)

Live Stream: beIN Sports CONNECT (USA)

Francois Mori/Associated Press

Preamble

Following Olympique Lyonnais’ surprise home loss to OGC Nice before the international break, Marseille took full advantage by thumping hapless RC Lens 4-0 to reignite the Ligue 1 title race in style.

PSG’s 3-1 home win over FC Lorient the day before Les Gones were embarrassed by Les Aiglons put them top, and now the defending French champions are looking to keep their place at the top of the pile after finally finishing a round of fixtures at the summit for the first time this term.

Those results mean that Le Championnat’s top three are separated by just two points coming into this weekend.

Lyon are away at EA Guingamp on Saturday, not the easiest of games to predict. There is as great a chance that Hubert Fournier’s men stumble at the Stade du Roudourou, as PSG and AS Monaco have already this campaign, as there is an OL win.

If the seven-time French champions do take all three points in Brittany, then there will be even more pressure on Marseille to beat their fierce rivals on Sunday.

Le Classique is always a match to look forward to each Ligue 1 season, but this weekend’s fixture is arguably the pair’s most important for many years. A win is an absolute must if OM’s title dreams are to remain intact, while PSG can afford to draw.

PSG’s record at the Stade Velodrome is not the best, having won just two of their last 10 meetings in southern France, but Les Parisiens have generally fared better than their foes since the arrival of Qatar Sports Investments at the capital club.

If Laurent Blanc’s men want to make a third consecutive Ligue 1 title easier for themselves, then they have a chance to knock Marseille out of the race here. But in order to do so, they must put in a big display.

Form Lines (all competitions)

Marseille

W. 4-0 vs. RC Lens (Ligue 1)

D. 0-0 vs. Lyon (Ligue 1)

W. 6-1 vs. Toulouse (Ligue 1)

L. 2-3 vs. Stade Malherbe Caen (Ligue 1)

D. 2-2 vs. AS Saint-Etienne (Ligue 1)

PSG

W. 3-1 vs. Lorient (Ligue 1)

L. 3-2 vs. Girondins de Bordeaux (Ligue 1)

D. 2-2 vs. Chelsea (UEFA Champions League last 16)

W. 4-1 vs. RC Lens (Ligue 1)

W. 2-0 vs. Monaco (Coupe de France quarter-final)

Lionel Cironneau/Associated Press

Predicted Formations

Marseille’s charismatic coach Marcelo Bielsa, as is his custom, named his starting XI for the game days ahead of schedule.

Jonathan Johnson B/R

Surprisingly, there is no room in his team for the in-form Michy Batshuayi, with Andre-Pierre Gignac set to lead the attack instead. With Giannelli Imbula suspended, Mario Lemina comes into the midfield and is joined by Alaixys Romao, with the Togolese international moving out of defence.

Nicolas N’Koulou is expected to be fit enough for a place on the bench, but the Cameroonian will not start. Brice Dja Djedje, Rod Fanni, Jeremy Morel and Benjamin Mendy will form Bielsa’s back four instead, with Florian Thauvin, Dimitri Payet and Andre Ayew the three attacking talents behind Gignac.

PSG’s starting XI is a little more difficult to predict, although Lucas Moura is expected to miss out in attack.

Jonathan Johnson B/R

Blanc should be boosted by greater depth after the return to fitness of a number of players who have been absent with injury recently. However, those players will likely not be fit enough to start the game and will instead have to settle for substitute roles.

With that in mind, Le President will probably opt for an all-Brazilian back four of Marquinhos, captain Thiago Silva, David Luiz and Maxwell, with Thiago Motta, Marco Verratti and Blaise Matuidi forming their familiar midfield trident.

As for the attack, with Lucas likely out, it will be a shootout between the two Argentinians. One of Javier Pastore and Ezequiel Lavezzi will join Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani in the PSG front line. Considering El Pocho’s wasteful form in front of goal recently, El Flaco’s creativity will likely swing the vote in his favour.

Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

Player to Watch Per Side

With Batshuayi on the bench, all eyes will be on Gignac to perform. The French international was excellent over the first half of the season but has only scored four times in 11 Ligue 1 fixtures since the start of 2015.

Considering that Batshuayi has six goals in his last five games, it is something of a surprise that Bielsa has opted to go for Gignac. But if the OM No. 9 does not impress, expect El Loco to introduce the Belgian early in the second half.

With a habit of scoring goals in the early moments of his performances lately, Bielsa is perhaps banking on the 21-year-old being his ultimate match winner.

As for PSG, these are the sorts of games that Verratti thrives in, and the diminutive Italian should play a starring role on Sunday night. The 22-year-old’s battle with Romao and Lemina in the middle of the pitch will be entertaining, and Verratti’s penchant for yellow cards should also add even more spice to the occasion.

If the diminutive midfielder can keep his cool in the heat of the battle, then he could prove to be one of the difference makers for Les Parisiens.

Michel Euler/Associated Press

Key Battle

The most decisive battle in this game will be between PSG’s attack and Marseille’s defence, notably Ibrahimovic against the likes of Morel and Fanni.

Although the battle for supremacy in midfield will be significant, OM’s back line is vulnerable, and the likes of Ibrahimovic, Cavani, Pastore and Lavezzi will all fancy their chances to inflict some damage.

Morel is not the best in the air and has been converted from left-back to central defence this season, while Fanni is another full-back-cum-central defender.

While it is understandable that Bielsa might not want to risk N’Koulou after his recent return from injury, Morel and Fanni are not adequate enough for a match of this magnitude.

The hosts will cause PSG problems at the back, but the likes of Marquinhos, Silva, Luiz and Maxwell should be able to deal with it. Marseille will struggle, and because of that, their defence’s ability to handle Les Parisiens’ attacking threats will be the key battle.

Odds (Per Oddsshark)

Home win: +191

Away win: +149

Draw: +217