Those recent results maintained the team’s double-digit lead at the top of the table, as they look to tie St Étienne as the most successful team in French top-flight history with a tenth Ligue 1 title.
PSG
Paris Saint-Germain have started April in the best way possible, by humiliating Lorient (5-1) and Clermont (6-1) ahead of what will be the 102nd edition of ‘Le Classique’. Those recent results maintained the team’s double-digit lead at the top of the table, as they look to tie St Étienne as the most successful team in French top-flight history with a tenth Ligue 1 title. While these sides are deadlocked on 32 wins apiece in Ligue 1 H2Hs, champions-elect PSG have enjoyed playing Marseille here in recent years, with the Parisians scoring 3 times in four of their last five home H2Hs. Knowing what is at stake, PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino has called for the team and the fans to “be welded together for 90 minutes”.
Marseille
Mentally boosted by qualification to the UEFA Europa Conference League semi-finals, after defeating PAOK 1-0 in midweek for an eighth straight win, Marseille will look to strengthen their grip on second place in Ligue 1 in this derby clash. While many expect them to suffer here, they might take confidence from famously breaking a ten-year winless run at Parc des Princes last season. There remain some shortcomings in defence though, with Marseille having now kept just one league clean sheet since mid-January. In turn, visiting boss Jorge Sampaoli may again focus on attack despite the calibre of opposition, with his side only failing to score in two away league games, while also boasting a league-high of nine half-time away leads.
PSG could rely on Kylian Mabppe for a good start as he’s scored five of his previous six strikes against Marseille before half-time. As for the visitors’ potential hero, Dimitri Payet has scored three goals across Marseille’s previous four matches, all coming between the 30th minute and half-time. Ligue 1 matches officiated by this game’s referee François Letexier have featured 0.67 penalties per game on average – a league-high among referees with 2 games.