OM wins the Classico by beating PSG (2-1) and qualifies for the quarterfinals

A victory at the Vélodrome against Paris Saint-Germain, Marseille had been waiting for this for 12 years! OM won 2-1 on Wednesday in the round of 16 of the Coupe de France, a feat that allows them to believe in the trophy and which weakens the capital club before the Champions League.

⏱ 90+5′ | #OMPSG 2️⃣-1️⃣

✅
What fighting spirit, what intensity, what a match from our Olympians to overcome PSG!
⚪️ pic.twitter.com/3YqSPYiWBS

– Olympique de Marseille (@OM_Officiel) February 8, 2023

This success, OM often believed in it, but often it fell from a height. Since the arrival of QSI at the head of PSG, there has indeed been a victory for Marseille, but it was at the Parc des Princes, in 2020, in the heart of the Covid period and empty stadiums. That of Wednesday is worth much more, because it was acquired in front of 65,000 spectators, who celebrated it stretched scarves and in a din of the devil.

OM hold on to their feat and they continue their journey in the Cup. The Marseillais can dream of lifting this trophy which they loved so much and which they have not won since 1989. PSG, on the other hand, is definitely not doing well at all and that is not good news before host Bayern Munich on Tuesday in the knockout stages of the Champions League. Paris had already lost twice since the resumption, against Lens and Rennes in the league, and Marseille again exposed their current weaknesses, all the more glaring since Mbappé is no longer there to hide them.

Rough pressing

Before kick-off, the two bends of the Vélodrome had sent the same message, very clear, to the OM players, in the form of giant tifos: “We want the Coupe de France”, said the North bend, “Marseille wants the Coupe de France”, confirmed the South Turn.

Igor Tudor’s players answered the call with a terrific first half, full of pace, intensity and confidence, of which they only missed the last five seconds, when they couldn’t stop Sergio Ramos to head back a corner impeccably struck by Neymar (1-1, 45+2). Before this equalization, Paris had been under terrible pressure, that of the 11 Tudor soldiers and that of the 65,000 spectators.

Faced with the brutal pressing of the Marseillais, the players of the capital sometimes seemed on the verge of rupture, and this is not very reassuring before the match against Bayern. But they eventually limited the damage. Malinovskyi, then Kolasinac, Guendouzi, Clauss, Under, almost all the Marseillais, had the opportunity to worry Donnarumma. But the Italian goalkeeper only gave in once, on a penalty converted by Sanchez (1-0, 31st) after an overflow from Under, on which Ramos showed his age and made a mistake.

heads down

Between the Marseille waves, Paris was still out a few times, in the huge spaces left by their very offensive opponents, but Messi and Neymar did not do much, except for a nice strike from the Brazilian on the post (40th). At the start of the second period, Paris seemed to have regained some breath. But OM very quickly cut him off via a monstrous strike from Malinovskyi (2-1, 57th), author on the spot of his second goal in two games, after a confused action started by a missed feint from Neymar.

Back from injury, the Brazilian failed to reverse the trend, even during the last ten minutes painfully completed by exhausted Marseillais. Messi didn’t help him, because at this minimal level of investment, even the magic of his left foot isn’t enough. So, while the Tudor players offered themselves a lap of honor, those of Christophe Galtier, a rare Marseillais who was unhappy on Wednesday evening, turned their heads down to Munich. They will then return in less than three weeks to the Vélodrome and we already want to see it again.