On the heels of back-to-back Ligue 1 wins over both Lorient and Clermont Foot, Paris Saint-Germain now has a monumental clash ahead with the league home fixture against rival Olympique de Marseille.
This fixture is essentially Marseille’s last opportunity to make a late-season push in the Ligue 1 standings, as a win for the side would see it move to nine points behind PSG with six matches remaining in the campaign.
In the big picture, PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino (via L’Equipe) also sees that this fixture will be one to watch for multiple notable reasons.
“21 years ago, when I signed for this club, I understood that this game was different,” Pochettino said after PSG’s win over Clermont Foot. “It’s still special to play against Marseille. I was captain now I am a coach, I am proud of what I gave and what I will be able to give for this club. … I hope the fans will be with us.
“We know they are not happy, we are in a democracy, they have the right to demonstrate, to protest. We hope they will leave their anger aside, it is important to give an image of us, united for 90 minutes.”
Overall, Pochettino has had some bragging rights over Marseille, which include the 2021 Trophee des Champions Final win and the 2-0 away victory in the second half of the 2021-2022 league campaign.
A crucial test sure will await both PSG and Marseille on Ligue 1 matchday 32.
