Marseille vs. PSG: Winners and Losers from Ligue 1 Game
Paris Saint-Germain extended their Ligue 1 unbeaten run to 34 matches with a 2-1 win away at Olympique de Marseille in the fixture known as “Le Classique” on Sunday.
Les Parisiens made the perfect start, scoring inside of two minutes through Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Remy Cabella hit back with an excellent individual goal before half-time, but Angel Di Maria had the final say for PSG with a fine finish.
The result was harsh on Marseille, as Michel’s men played some excellent football at times and were the better side for most of the match. However, a few mistakes and a lack of clinical finishing ultimately cost the hosts.
PSG coach Laurent Blanc praised the spectacle produced by both sides, although he admitted to the capital club's official website that his players were unable to control the match:
"It was a great game. Marseille caused us a lot of problems in the first half. It was a good game, even if we didn't control the game. But the game needed a winner, and tonight it fell Paris' way. We made too many mistakes, lost the ball too quickly and lacked our usual patience. Despite that, we still managed to make the play and create a lot of chances.
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Here are some winners and losers from PSG’s 2-1 win away at Marseille.
Winner: Lassana Diarra
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Considering that Lassana Diarra only resumed training after a significant injury layoff the day before the PSG game, it was impressive that he was even able to feature in the Marseille squad.
However, the France international not only made the group and played in the game, he started and absolutely bossed proceedings.
Diarra put capital club counterparts Thiago Motta and Adrien Rabiot to shame, helping Les Phoceens to produce an impressive display.
Loser: Brice Dja Djedje
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It was a night to forget for Marseille’s Brice Dja Djedje.
A lapse in the 25-year-old’s concentration enabled Maxwell to get in behind and produce an inch-perfect cross for Zlatan Ibrahimovic to score after just two minutes.
It could easily have been worse for Dja Djedje not long after. Angel Di Maria was played in behind and given all the time in the world, but luckily for the Ivory Coast international, El Fideo skewed his shot wide.
Substituted after 85 minutes, Dja Djedje should feel relieved that he was not hauled off earlier than that after a disastrous showing.
Winner: Zlatan Ibrahimovic
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Although he was not at his absolute best, Zlatan Ibrahimovic still made the difference for PSG on a night when few of Laurent Blanc’s big names stepped up.
The Sweden international converted from Maxwell’s excellent cross after just two minutes, and it was the 34-year-old who provided the pass to tee up Angel Di Maria for the French champions’ winning goal.
Despite those two important contributions, Ibrahimovic missed a good chance in the second half when he badly miscued a Blaise Matuidi cross.
However, PSG’s talismanic No. 10 ultimately did enough and now has nine goals in 10 games against Marseille.
Loser: Adrien Rabiot
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Although Blaise Matuidi tried admirably to single-handedly man the PSG midfield at times, Marseille regularly overran their bitter rivals in the middle of the pitch.
Adrien Rabiot and Thiago Motta were way below their best at Stade Velodrome, and the France under-21 midfielder was particularly disappointing.
Sloppy in possession, the 20-year-old should have been withdrawn earlier than the 89th minute.
Winner: Thiago Silva
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One of the main reasons why PSG did not concede more than one goal to Marseille was the impressive form of captain Thiago Silva.
The Brazilian was absolutely superb at the back and made a number of important headers and sliding tackles to keep OM at bay.
If Selecao Brasileira coach Dunga was watching the 31-year-old’s masterful performance, he will have plenty of food for thought ahead of his next Brazil squad.
Loser: Michy Batshuayi
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It was a disappointing evening for Michy Batshuayi in the Marseille attack.
The Belgium international has been enduring a slump in form for the past few weeks, but not even Le Classique could reinvigorate him.
Batshuayi looked lazy at times and showed little willingness to drop deep, even when it was obvious that he needed to drop back more in order to aid the creation of chances.
