Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain will face their biggest rival Marseille at Parc des Princes on Sunday.
Marseille’s long-standing bragging rights as the only French club to win the Champions League ended last season when PSG claimed the title in emphatic fashion. Domestically, PSG has also pulled ahead with 13 Ligue 1 titles compared to Marseille’s nine. The Parisians remain perfect this season with four wins from four league games.
“We know the importance of this match, for the fans and the club,” PSG coach Luis Enrique said. “It’s a strong rivalry.”
Marseille, guided by coach Roberto De Zerbi, has shown improvement but still lacks confidence. Following Tuesday’s 2-1 Champions League loss to Real Madrid, De Zerbi urged his players to show more daring and ambition. Second-placed Lille is the only other unbeaten team and will play a northern derby against Lens on Saturday.
Marseille captain Leonardo Balerdi could face a challenging night regardless of his opponent. While he avoids facing injured stars Ousmane Dembélé and Désiré Doué, his performance in central defence will be key. Questions remain over which version of Balerdi will turn up: the combative defender who effectively marked PSG star Kylian Mbappé against Real Madrid, or the error-prone Balerdi who has occasionally conceded clumsy goals since joining four years ago. PSG defenders will focus on Marseille forward Mason Greenwood, who assisted Tim Weah’s goal against Real Madrid and has two goals and three assists so far in Ligue 1.
Monaco’s 19-year-old midfielder Aladji Bamba, a product of the club’s youth academy, impressed in his first start last weekend against Auxerre and is expected to feature against Metz on Sunday. Former Barcelona prodigy Ansu Fati could also make his Ligue 1 debut for Monaco.
Monaco midfielder Denis Zakaria will miss several weeks with a thigh injury, while PSG awaits updates on key midfielder João Neves, who limped off early in the second half of Wednesday’s 4-0 Champions League rout of Atalanta.
Off the field, Lens fans remain upset over heavy-handed policing before and after last Sunday’s match at Parc des Princes. Supporters said they were surrounded by riot police, prevented from leaving buses during searches, and denied basic needs like using the restroom. Tensions briefly escalated into violent clashes. Lens issued a statement expressing concern over the treatment of fans and calling for consistent rules to ensure a peaceful stadium environment. The club noted that it has no history of hooliganism, while French riot police faced criticism for similar behavior ahead of the 2022 Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid.