Le Classique becomes damp squib amid Marseille’s tactical missteps | Luke Entwistle

Much ado about, well, not nothing, but very little. Le Classique came around with more fanfare than in recent editions and, from a Marseille point of view, with increased expectations. Those expectations, however, were quickly shattered in front of a record crowd at the Vélodrome.

Not since November 2011 have Marseille beaten Paris Saint-Germain at home in Ligue 1. Les Parisiens’ takeover of PSG in that same year changed the dynamic between the two fierce rivals with OM now occupying the role of the underdog. But with PSG’s shedding of stars and Marseille’s big summer investment in talent on and off the pitch, there were signs of a shift.

The addition of one of Didier Deschamps’ most trusted figures in the France national team setup, Adrien Rabiot, provided an intriguing backdrop to this Classique. The midfielder’s 2019 departure from PSG came in acrimonious circumstances and he raised a few eyebrows when the “pureblood Parisian” (his own words) joined Marseille on a free transfer earlier this summer. “No comment,” reacted a stern-faced Marquinhos upon completion of the former Titi’s move to the Vélodrome. But beyond the melodrama, Rabiot is a player who significantly raises the quality of a side that was refreshed and strengthened over the summer; inversely, the perception is that PSG, without Kylian Mbappé, are weaker. “They’ve lost a bit of magic,” said Thierry Henry after PSG’s latest underwhelming performance in the Champions League, a draw against PSV Eindhoven.

With Marseille ruthlessly hammering Montpellier 5-0 the week before, a result that cost Michel Der Zakarian his job, a certain rapprochement between the two sides that were separated by 26 points last season was expected. A win by a big margin would have taken OM top. “Time will tell if the gap between the two clubs has decreased,” said Roberto De Zerbi before the match. The 3-0 scoreline suggests it has not, although the reality is somewhat more nuanced and the deductions for the larger title battle are even less conclusive.

Few lessons can be taken when a game is played 10 v 11 for 70 minutes, as was the case after Amine Harit was sent off for a Nigel De Jong-lite challenge into Marquinhos’ sternum. Such was the controversy around the decision, the referee, François Letexier, spent eight minutes explaining it to the broadcaster DAZN post-match. But even before the red card on the 20-minute mark, Marseille showed signs that ultimately leave them on the periphery of the title discussion. “We lacked bravery and personality. You can lose when you wear OM’s jersey, but you can’t play without personality,” said De Zerbi.

Amine Harit (third from right) reacts after being sent off by François Letexier. Photograph: Guillaume Horcajuelo/EPA

The Italian manager has his own share of the blame. Playing so narrow out of possession gave Bradley Barcola the space he needed to influence the game and cause damage, as he did for João Neves’ opener in the sixth minute, while his side lacked the structure to beat PSG’s high press. Individual errors, notably Leonardo Balerdi’s mindless pass into his own net before the half-hour mark, which killed the game before it ever truly got going, were costly. But there was a tactical naivety that shows this OM side may not be ready to mount a challenge to PSG over the course of the campaign.

“Our team has just been born with players coming from other leagues,” said De Zerbi. He too is learning the ropes, and against the best in France, that showed. Marseille will learn from the humbling but their current limits were clear for all to see.

For PSG, this was the challenge that never was. Their shortcomings in Europe have already been highlighted but this was meant to be their litmus test for competitiveness on the domestic stage. It was not. The strengths of key players in Barcola and Neves were on show; Ousmane Dembélé was Ousmane Dembélé, great in buildup but lacking the finish, or the pass; Les Parisiens’ press was intense and structured. But we already knew all of this.

The headline act of what was billed as ‘Le Big Week-end’ with four Ligue 1 derbies was ultimately a damp squib and confirms suspicions that Monaco, rather than Marseille, are PSG’s biggest challenger, despite Les Monégasques succumbing to their first defeat of the season.

PSG have, for now, silenced the noisy neighbours, but to dampen the murmurings about their own quality, this is the kind of result that will have to be repeated in Europe.

Talking points

• Monaco suffered their first defeat of the season, and in fact their first in six months on Sunday. Prior to their 2-1 defeat to Nice in the Côte d’Azur derby, they were one of just two sides in Europe’s top five divisions still unbeaten in all competitions this season. Manchester City now stand alone as the only unbeaten side. The match hinged on the controversial decision to send Vanderson off for a second yellow just before half-time, which led the Principality Club’s CEO to remark that the referee of the encounter, Jérémie Pignard, “likes to give Monaco red cards”. It is the sixth that he has awarded Les Monégasques in the last 12 matches. Gaëtan Laborde capitalised on a Krépin Diatta error to slot home the winner, which ended Le Gym’s run of six games without a win in all competitions.

• New manager, same problems. Montpellier retreated into their comfort zone after Der Zakarian’s sacking last weekend, opting to bring back Jean-Louis Gasset, who came out of retirement for a third stint as manager of his home town club. “When I saw the club suffering, I couldn’t not come back,” he said upon his return. If he was not already aware of the enormity of the task, he is now. La Paillade were swept aside by Toulouse (3-0) in the Occitanie derby. It is a result that leaves Montpellier cut adrift at the bottom of Ligue 1 and extends their losing run to four games. Gasset’s reappointment was predictable, but is an indictment of a club – and a president – that is out of ideas as they hope to scramble themselves to safety.

• There was a big game in Ligue 2 too with Ajaccio taking on Bastia in the Corsican derby. The match, however, did not reach completion. Away fans have been banned from this encounter since 2012, and it was no different on Saturday. But some Bastia fans defied the travel ban and made the 150km trip south to Ajaccio. In the 42nd minute, they clashed with home fans inside the Stade Michel-Moretti, causing the suspension of the match for just over one-and-a-half hours. All the while, the rain hammered down amid an orange weather alert. By the time the match could be restarted, the pitch had become unplayable, leading to the postponement of the derby, which was stopped at 0-0.