We had here a real treat for the north-south rivalry match known as Le Classique! Gignac's brace kept Marseille and Paris fans alike on the edge of their seats, while a superb goal by Blaise Matuidi and a well-taken opportunity converted by Marquinhos brought the game back level twice. Ulitimately the match was decided by a Jeremy Morel own-goal, but that is far from an accurate reflection of this game's riveting quality between Ligue 1's bitter rivals.
The match started off with a bang, each side pushing the ball deep into each other's halves early on in open attacking play. Andre Pierre Gignac was the first to put a stamp on the scoreboard, playing a brilliant one-two with Dimitri Payet, who crossed the ball high over to the far corner of the penalty box, where it was rammed into the net by a hungry Gignac, leaping high over the defender Marquinhos. Shortly thereafter David Luiz went down from a pulled hamstring while trying to defend the ball on a run. This was a double wammy for the Paris side, but their response was far from despondent as Blaise Matuidi took matters into his own feet at the edge of the box, feinting a shot with his left before cutting to his right and finessing a spectacular curled ball that raked over Steve Mandanda's fingertips and into the far-right corner of the net. This effort can be further praised because it was taken by Matuidi's right foot and not his preferred left. However, shortly before the break Verratti attempted a dubious pass to Pastore that resulted in a deadly turnover, the ball being intercepted and passed to Gignac who ran unmarked towards Sirigu before slotting home another point. The eruption from the Velodrome fueled the striker onwards as he attempted one last kick just under the top of the bar, but his effort was saved by the glove of Salvatore Sirigu.
Whatever Laurent Blanc told his men at halftime appeared to be the perfect rallying cry for the north side, as PSG scored twice within the opening ten minutes of the second-half. Ibra had the chance to score off a tantalizing set-piece very early-on, but his balance failed him as he slipped and scuffed his strike, only to deflect off of Cavani in the process and fall perfectly for the young Marquinhos, who sent the ball high into the net for an equalizer. Barely five minutes later PSG were threatening again with Pastore breaking down the left with an attempted pass to Ibrahimovic. The ball was won by the defender Jeremy Morel first, but only for him to hurdle it into his own net under the frantic momentum. While Zlatan cannot call that goal his own (a goal that would have brought his PSG tally to a ripe 100) his presence at the heels of the unlucky defender was the reason it was not cleared properly. The blow was a damning one for Marseille, as PSG dominated the pitch in style with renewed confidence and smart passing, playing the game out as their hosts grew tired.
What we had here was a true Classique that fully lived up to its hype in an enthralling game of five goals. PSG came from behind twice in a dramatic victory that not only provided magnificent entertainment but also leapfrogged them again over Olimpyque Lyon to top of the table. Marseille on the other hand are now sitting insecurely in third spot, five points behind the Parisiens. While not out of the race, this loss has made their work a whole lot harder.
What made this game great was the emphasis on open attacking play instead of the cagey build-up tactics that were prevalent for both legs of the PSG-Chelsea fixture. At no point during the match was victory guaranteed to one side over the other, and it is foruitous that the result was not attributed to controversial calls or cynical play. It can be argued that the game fell to PSG at least in part from to Gignac and Andre Ayew's rather surprising substitutions early in the second half, as their presence was greatly missed thereafter. Michy Batshuayi, though brilliant in recent weeks, still does not command the level of experience and ability as Gignac, and without being ineffective he was still a shadow of the player he replaced. The reason for Ayew's premature substitution was also not so obvious, possibly a result of his early yellow and visible frustration with referee Ruddy Buquet throughout the game, a frustration that was not limited to his time on the pitch as he earned a second yellow for confronting the ref after the match's conclusion. This was also the case for Gignac, who was shown a straight red for the same harassment. It is worth noting that these types of games are often decided in part by the discipline or lack thereof on the pitch by both sides, and while the reds were never pulled during regulation time (despite Buquet having a reputation for displaying them more frequently) they made an appearance afterwards to punish the stupid lack of control by both players. Now Marseille loses not only the game but also two of their star performers for the next match, turning the headache of defeat into a week-long hangover.
Both teams, all in all, were brilliant, and PSG had to work very hard to maintain their lead, a lead that could have been much higher had two players decided to be more clinical. Javier Pastore had two great opportunities to score, one created by himself and the other by a Verratti through-ball, but the shots both went a little too wide. Cavani had an opportunity for glory courtesy of a Matuidi cross, but as usual the Uruguayan hesitated to shoot at the right moment, choosing unwisely to forego the obvious volley and giving Mandanda too much time to get in front. His early substitution was a homage to his frustrating performances this season. Zlatan Ibrahimovic did well as a playmaker despite not netting that 100th goal, although he played a huge part in influencing the game-winning own goal. Matuidi was arguably the man of the match today, doing well to time his notably sporadic scoring-rate for this fixture with what was truly a goal to remember. But his real contribution as usual was his never-ending stamina and energy, tormenting the Marseille side with turnovers and bursts of speed that rocketed the squad forward. Pastore also gave a stellar series of dribbles, most particularly this one that left four defending players looking silly.
The win is an important one and definitely heralds Blanc's evident coaching prowess in top level matches. The fact that his side turned the game over on its head so quickly after halftime is no coincidence. However, he is confronted now with the almost impossible problem of preparing what's left of his fit team for a two-legged battle against Barcelona. Both Thiago Motta and David Luiz went down with hamstring-related injuries, Luiz's apparently more serious and leaving him unlikely to feature anymore this season. Motta has just recently come back to form and his absence will be felt throughout the PSG midfield. Blanc will have to be ingenious in his preparations for the Champions League quarterfinals, in which he also has to deal with two suspended players (Verratti and Ibrahimovic, who were ironically also unavailable for part of the quarterfinals last year). This first game against Barca, which will premiere at the Parc de Princes, will be a true test of his tactical powers as he must now replace some of his best players in the most difficult spell of the campaign in which Paris will compete in seven games for four separate competitions all within two weeks. But this season for PSG has been nothing if not magical in recent months, and the determination will surely burn the stronger as the stakes pile high for one of the toughest tests this club will face.
As always, Allez Paris!
