Even though Marseille is a bigger club than PSG when looking at all the honors they have, the team from the south of France comes into this matchup as a massive underdog. The former European champions are in big, big trouble with the head coach who wants to leave, and the fans who are setting their facilities on fire. On the other hand, PSG is in better shape, but we need to say that since Mauricio Pochettino sat on their bench, the Saints are looking less efficient, and they aren’t attacking as before. Many of their fans are not happy because of it.
Preview
Marseille is on the verge of collapse. Andre Villas-Boas doesn’t want to be the head coach anymore, and he is publicly demanding his release from the team. Furthermore, the former Chelsea manager stated a few things during the media conference on purpose, only to provoke the board to fire him. At the moment, there isn’t any news about his status, but he should leave Veledrom pretty soon.
The fans have an agenda of their own, protesting and demolishing everything that has any connection with the club. Recently they have ruined the team’s training center, unhappy with the results and the politics of the organization. Marseille has just one win in the last 10 matches once mentioning the results, posting six defeats and three draws during this span.
PSG made the switch at the head-coaching position, replacing Thomas Tuchel and bringing in the former Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino. The Saints have been winning in most of the matches since his arrival, but to be honest, they aren’t playing as before.
We noticed a change in their mentality, and it seems that once the Ligue 1 champs take the lead, they tend to decrease the tempo and slow the pace. That would come back like a boomerang against Lorient, losing 3-2 that event, even though having a 1-2 lead at one point. Just to mention that five of their recent six games saw over 2.5 goals.
Head to Head Matches
The French Super Cup saw these two sides meeting on January 13, and PSG won that clash, 2-1. Icardi and Neymar scored for the Saints, while on the other side, Payet hit the back of the net for Neymar.
Now, the last time one league match took place at Veedrome, PSG won, 0-2.
Prediction
The two sides are fierce rivals, and the guests won’t miss an opportunity for inflicting one painful loss to their enemies. The hatred between these two teams is enormous, and it doesn’t need any explanation. PSG to win with -1.5 goals, is 1.05 at BetXChange, which is superb here, especially after all the stress and shock the hosts’ players have experienced in the previous days.
What is the Situation in the Standings
Lille is surprisingly first with 51 points, while Lyon sits second with 49, PSG comes third with one point fewer, while Monaco has 45. According to the bookmakers, these four clubs are in the hunt for the title, with the note that PSG still has the highest chances. You can visit BetXChange to check out all the offers and odds for French Ligue 1.
Marseille is currently ninth with 33 points, but without a win for a long time, and in free fall. They probably won’t repeat the previous year’s success once this crew secured the Champions League group stage, refreshing the club’s finances. Right now, Marseille has two games fewer than all the teams ahead of them in the standings, but even with six points from both of them, they could be fifth in the best possible case.