Marquinhos seals PSG’s 2-1 Classique win over Marseille

Paris Saint-Germain left the Stade Velodrome with a 2-1 Classique victory over Marseille after Marquinhos answered Angel Gomes’ equaliser within three minutes. Ferran Torres had given the visitors the lead shortly after arriving from the bench, while Timothy Weah’s late red card further damaged Marseille’s hopes of a response.

Key takeaways

• Ferran Torres scored in the 66th minute, seven minutes after being introduced.
• Angel Gomes brought Marseille level in the 72nd minute.
• PSG captain Marquinhos headed the decisive goal from a set-piece in the 75th minute.
• PSG controlled 61% possession and produced 31 attempts, with Marseille registering four efforts on target.
• Timothy Weah was dismissed late in the match as PSG closed out the result.

Substitutes turn a tight Classique

The first half at the Velodrome was restrained by the standards of this fixture, with neither side finding a breakthrough despite the intensity around the stadium. PSG gradually established territorial control, using João Neves’ composure in midfield to keep the ball moving under pressure. The visitors completed 323 passes as a team and spent long periods working against Marseille’s compact defensive block.

Vitinha supplied much of PSG’s creativity from central areas, while Désiré Doué provided the moment that opened the contest. His pass released Torres, who had replaced Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in the 59th minute, and the substitute finished calmly six minutes later.

Marseille responded through Gomes in the 72nd minute, with PSG’s goalkeeper unable to keep out the equaliser. The Russian keeper otherwise had a relatively protected evening, making three saves and dealing securely with aerial deliveries as his defence limited the home side’s threat.

PSG did not allow the setback to alter the outcome. Marquinhos attacked a dead-ball delivery in the 75th minute and headed his side back in front, delivering both the winner and a captain’s response at a decisive stage. Marseille could not build another sustained push, particularly after Weah’s dismissal, and Luis Enrique’s team saw out a valuable away win.

PSG’s control and Luis Enrique’s selection calls

PSG’s back line stood up well in a hostile setting. The summer arrival in defence was forceful in his duels, while the young right-sided player repeatedly tracked Marseille’s advancing wing-backs from his inward-moving role. Nuno Mendes offered an outlet from the left despite receiving a yellow card for a tactical foul in the 39th minute, before Lucas Beraldo replaced him in the 79th minute to reinforce the defence.

Fabián Ruiz connected midfield and attack during his 65 minutes before being replaced by Akliouche. The change added fresh energy as the match opened up, while Ousmane Dembélé’s pace had troubled Marseille’s full-backs before his late withdrawal, even if his final contribution did not match his running.

Kvaratskhelia found limited room against Marseille’s crowded defensive shape and was taken off before the hour. Torres’ arrival instead gave PSG the cutting edge they had lacked, and Doué’s assist underlined his influence in the final third.

Luis Enrique’s interventions proved central to the result. Torres supplied the first goal, Akliouche arrived in midfield in the 65th minute, Beraldo helped protect the lead, and a late Dembélé replacement was used to manage the closing stages. PSG’s ability to respond immediately after conceding ensured the champions retained their domestic authority in Marseille.