OM-PSG: Paris wakes up, Torres strikes again

The Vélodrome expected a battle. What it got was a Classique that stayed shut for a long time, then ten minutes of madness. PSG win 2-1 in Marseille, at the end of a match in which Paris first struggled to find their footing before gradually taking control, then struck as the game suddenly opened up.

A cautious first half

OM start with more intensity. Paris are searching for their rhythm while the Marseille side try to push forward quickly on the counter. Maupay even gets a huge chance: found in the box, the striker fails to convert what looked like an ideal situation. Marseille also claim a penalty for a contentious incident, without success.

Paris eventually manage to settle into their game. Vitinha and João Neves gradually take control of the ball, PSG push higher up the pitch and chances start to come. Dembélé attempts a lob that goes just over, while Kvaratskhelia remains far quieter. Paris dominate territorially, but still lack a cutting edge in the final third.

Paris wake up

After the break, the wake-up call is much clearer. PSG step up the pace, string together sequences in the Marseille half and pile on the shots. OM are pushed back.

In the 59th minute, Luis Enrique brings on Ferran Torres for Kvaratskhelia. Seven minutes later, the Spaniard strikes again: Doué, found out wide on the left, delivers a perfect cross to the back post, and Torres rises to plant an unstoppable header. 0-1.

Ten minutes of madness

The Vélodrome responds immediately: Angel Gomes equalises in the 72nd minute. But Paris hit back straight away: from a ball cleared after a cross from Nuno Mendes, Marquinhos follows up perfectly to restore PSG's lead.

Then Timothy Weah sees red. Down to ten men, Marseille have to give up part of their ambitions. Luis Enrique reshuffles his attacking line once more, taking off Dembélé and then Doué, and Paris manage the final minutes.

Dembélé, Kvaratskhelia and Doué all started the Classique. None of the three finished it. Torres, meanwhile, comes on and scores again. His run of form is becoming a genuine feature of Paris's start to the season: four goals in Ligue 1, following his strikes against Rennes and Brest and his hat-trick in the Champions League.

Two opposing trajectories

Above all, this win puts Paris back up to 6th place with 8 points, five points behind leaders Monaco. PSG therefore remain far from the pace expected of a title contender, but have now strung together three wins in all competitions.

For Marseille, the situation is far more urgent: 17th with just 3 points, OM have just suffered their fourth defeat in five matchdays.

The Classique thus leaves two very different tasks ahead: Paris still need to make their dominance more consistent and more incisive; Marseille need to quickly rediscover results and solidity. Amid these questions, one certainty is taking hold on the Paris side: when the match opens up, Ferran Torres is never far away.