OM-PSG, act III.
After a first leg match rich in controversy, nasty gestures and won by OM at the Parc des Princes (0-1), a Champions Trophy returned to PSG (2-1) before a night of discussions on social networks between Neymar and Alvaro Gonzalez, place in the third Classic of the season, this Sunday (9 p.m.), at the Vélodrome.
The 100th in history.
OM-PSG or PSG-OM, it is necessarily special, even if the opposition "is not always a good advertisement for Ligue 1", as Eric Di Meco underlines, in
Le Figaro
.
The duel of September 13 is the perfect illustration of this ... "You can only love this rivalry when you are attached to one of the two clubs", swears his partner at
RMC Sport
, Jérôme Rothen.
"It's very important for the players, the supporters and the whole club"
Mauricio Pochettino
Everything is said: it is a poster for the supporters - who will obviously not be in the stands - more than the amateurs of beautiful game, a derby.
And since the reckless exit of Kylian Mbappé, in 2017 ("For them, it's the game of their year, it did not have the same importance for us"), the message has passed to Paris.
“When you arrive here, we explain to you that it's a different match, promises Marco Verratti, who already has 16 Classics to his credit.
It was the case for me.
And that's the message we're trying to get across to new people.
We know it is close to the hearts of supporters.
And the supporters and we are one family.
It means that we have to give even more for this match and that we have no room for mistakes. "
And Mauricio Pochettino to confirm: "It's very important for the players, the supporters and the whole club."
The Argentine coach is well placed to know it, he who played six matches against OM in the early 2000s with Paris.
He won three, for two losses and one draw.
"
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Obviously, the gap has widened between the two "best enemies" of French football since the beginning of the QSI era.
So much so that Paris lined up around twenty matches without defeat against OM between 2011 and last September, including 17 victories.
"They are largely favorites," confirms Steve Mandanda, hoping that his team will leave the Vélodrome with "zero regrets".
A team "shaken" in recent days, as recognized by the interim coach Nasser Larguet, who had to replace André Villas-Boas - resigned and whose successor could be Jorge Sampaoli - at a moment's notice at the beginning of the week.
After Lens (2-2), he will therefore officiate for the second time on the Marseille bench this Sunday.
Explosive context in Marseille
Sacred baptism of fire for this formator at heart, who is in a hurry: "To come back as quickly as possible with (his) young people".
The Marseille context is all the more complicated as the patience of supporters has reached its limit after a series of poor results, while the top of the standings was within reach of crampons not so long ago.
Which supporters invited themselves to the Commanderie last weekend to express their anger and shout their fed up with Jacques-Henri Eyraud.
Explosive.
"We must stand up and be united, players, management and supporters", demands Mandanda, while Larguet tries to put the players "in front of their responsibilities but by restoring their confidence.
There were some pretty harsh events, psychologically and physically.
In training and in the speech, I try to be very close to them, he says.
I feel in them a great motivation for the coming deadlines, and not only the PSG. "
Thauvin and OM winners at Parc des Princes (0-1) on the first leg, last September
In addition to everything else, OM is overwhelmed by the injured.
Arkadiusz Milik and Jordan Amavi are forfeited.
Dario Benedetto, Florian Thauvin, Alvaro Gonzalez and other Valentin Rongier are uncertain.
It's a lot.
Especially against the reigning French champions ... In Paris, there is also damage: Neymar is uncertain with a gastro.
Marquinhos and Marco Verratti return, but Keylor Navas is forced to pass his turn.
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"These are important matches, matches that change the course of a season," promises Mauro Icardi, brilliant last January during the Champions Trophy.
Not wrong: both clubs need the three points.
To get closer to European places on the Marseille side, so as not to be let down by Lille and Lyon on the Parisian side.
The two teams were respectively ninth and third at the end of the 23rd trick.
Obviously, it is more against Barça than against OM that PSG will play its season.
A PSG struggling to find its cruising speed under the orders of his new coach, in post for a month.
“We know that it's a good team, and also that all the teams give 1000% against us.
We think we are the best in France and we have to demonstrate it day after day, ”says Alessandro Florenzi.
"It's a bit like our Champions League in the championship"
Nacer Larguet
The best in France, perhaps.
But OM did better than resist in the last two duels between the two teams.
“In the last two encounters, we showed a better face, we were much more difficult to maneuver for them, notes Mandanda.
But we remain aware of the quality of the opponent.
After that, it's still football, it's a special match for the city of Marseille, the supporters and the club. ”
Same story on the side of Larguet: “There won't be a lot of talk with the players.
The motivation will be quite natural, it is one of the matches of their season, a bit like our Champions League in the championship ", swears the director of the Olympian training center, eager to find against Paris the" complicity "and the “generosity” seen in Lens.
It will take at least that to create the exploit again.
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