The French football classic was one-sided, and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) convincingly defeated Olympique Marseille 3-1, with Marseille unable to challenge the superiority of the reigning champions, who extended their lead at the top of the table to nineteen points.

Undefeated, PSG took advantage of their direct encounter with their eternal rivals to push Marseille towards lower objectives. Meanwhile, Luis Enrique's side claimed their seventh consecutive win in Ligue 1, continuing their countdown toward the title. The PSG could clinch a new French success in their history as soon as early April.

Total PSG Dominance

The sixth consecutive Ligue 1 victory over Marseille, who were able to score for the first time during this period, was sealed in the first half. Before halftime, Ousmane Dembélé and Nuno Mendes scored thanks to the direction and vision of Fabián Ruiz, who stood out in the midfield and played a role in both goals.

The high defensive line set by Roberto De Zerbi, who left his scorer, Mason Greenwood, on the bench, was a highway for PSG, who easily made deep runs. Much of this had to do with Fabián Ruiz and the attacking runs. Dembélé and Desire Doue (starting instead of Bradley Barcola) were key, along with the contribution of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who has added an extra dimension to Luis Enrique's squad.

Goals and Chances

Before the 15-minute mark, Nuno Mendes had a chance to open the scoring, but it was in the 17th minute when PSG took the lead. A goal kick from goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, extended by Kvaratskhelia with a header to Fabián Ruiz, allowed the Spanish midfielder to assist Dembélé, who then made a solo run towards the keeper, dribbled, and scored on the second attempt. 

This was Dembélé's 21st goal in Ligue 1, and his 30th across all competitions. The second goal came three minutes before halftime when Nuno Mendes took advantage of a pass from Fabián Ruiz and pushed the ball into the net following a collective action that exposed Marseille's defensive strategy.

Marseille Responds, But It's Not Enough

Marseille at least left the Parc des Princes with a goal to their name, narrowing the gap early in the second half. It came from Amine Gouiri, who received a pass from Adrien Rabiot after a good run, dribbled past Donnarumma, and scored into an empty net. PSG showed some signs of fatigue after the physical toll from their Liverpool match, where they advanced after extra time and penalties, but still, Dembélé came close to sealing the win with a shot off the post in the 60th minute.

De Zerbi made a twist with a triple substitution, bringing on Greenwood, Quentin Merlin, and Pol Lirola. Lirola nearly equalized, but his shot in the 67th minute went over the crossbar. With 15 minutes left, Marseille lost all hope when Pol Lirola, attempting to intercept a cross from the byline by Achraf Hakimi to Dembélé, scored an own goal, sealing the PSG victory 3-1.