Paris Saint-Germain won the Classic at the Vélodrome, but did not really reassure themselves about their current level. Long held in check by an eye-catching OM, the capital club finally made the difference in the second half thanks to Ferran Torres (66th) then Marquinhos (75th), despite the equalizer from Angel Gomes (72nd). Paris won (1-2) in a meeting where it largely dominated the ball and the territorial debates, but where its offensive animation still lacked sharpness in important moments. Luis Enrique obtained the three points at a time when PSG remained on a sluggish start to the season in Ligue 1.
And inevitably, eyes were turned to Ousmane Dembélé and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. The two men had, however, shown a great bond in recent days in the race for the Ballon d’Or. Asked by League 1+Dembélé explained that he would give the trophy to the Georgian, believing that Kvara was “the best player in the world” and that he deserved to win the Ballon d’Or after an exceptional season. And in the same cross-interview, Kvaratskhelia responded by explaining that he would vote for Dembélé, highlighting in particular his ability to lead the team, his acceleration and his penalty against Arsenal. A real cross-country campaign where the two Parisians returned compliments with great elegance.
A still sluggish performance
But on the Vélodrome pitch, the timing was particularly bad to miss their meeting. Ousmane Dembélé quickly showed his limits in this Classic. From the 12th minute, after a combination with Nuno Mendes and Fabián Ruiz, he attempted a lob from the left but sent the ball over Jeffrey De Lange’s goal. A few minutes later, he was again involved in the Parisian offensives without managing to make a difference. After the break, he also struggled to convert situations created by PSG, while his activity gradually lost influence. Even more problematic, he lost a ball in the build-up to Marseille’s equalizer in the 72nd minute. An unusual waste for the one who was supposed to bring the last spark in such an important meeting. For his part, Kvaratskhelia failed to take control. The Georgian, however, had several situations to hurt OM, notably in the 12th minute when his combination with Désiré Doué led to a blocked shot, then especially in the 52nd minute.
After a cross from Dembélé, Kvara found himself in a good position in the middle, but his shot was deflected by Egan-Riley and the ball went just wide while De Lange was beaten. A few moments later, he failed to take advantage of the spaces left by Marseille. Replaced in the 59th minute by Ferran Torres, he saw the Spaniard open the scoring just seven minutes later. A cruel symbol for the duo, since the Spanish replacement immediately brought more sharpness and efficiency. At a press conference, Luis Enrique admitted, without naming the two attackers, that his team had again harvested. “We controlled the first half but we didn’t create many chances. They defended well and it was complicated. After the break we started brilliantly, we had a lot of clear chances but we missed. We scored, we conceded a goal very quickly and it was still complicated. But the objective is achieved, the three points and giving our supporters a good time by winning the Classic“. In an already sluggish start to the season, Dembélé and Kvaratskhelia had the opportunity to strike hard in the Classic. They finally missed their meeting, at the worst time.
