The lights are already flashing red at Marseille. A 4-0 opening-night win over Strasbourg now feels distant after four successive defeats in all competitions, and the next visitor to the Vélodrome is Paris Saint-Germain for Sunday night’s Classique.
Kick-off is scheduled for 20:45, with Marseille facing a PSG side expected to arrive with a point to prove after falling eight points behind Monaco. The prospect has heightened concern around an OM team still searching for stability at both ends of the pitch.
Former Marseille defender Maxime Chanot expects a difficult evening for the home side. “It is a special match,” he said, while fearing that PSG could run up a heavy score. He believes the Olympians will need a major tactical solution from Bruno Genesio, adding that he sees few obvious ways for Marseille to trouble a Paris team likely to be in a determined mood.
Marseille urged to close the spaces
There were positive moments in Marseille’s 4-1 Europa League victory over Besiktas, but concerns remained beneath the result. Walid Acherchour pointed to individual mistakes in the defensive area, a lack of ruthlessness in front of goal and a physical drop after half-time.
Those weaknesses could be punished far more severely against PSG. Acherchour warned that Marseille have been too adventurous in their approach and argued that they must become more compact, lower their defensive block and give their players greater protection when possession is lost.
The possible use of a 4-2-3-1, with Abdelli and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in midfield, particularly worries him against Paris’s pace in transition. For Marseille, the Vélodrome night offers the glamour of the Classique, but also a severe test of whether a troubled start can be halted before it deepens further.
