'Be brave': De Zerbi wants Marseille to finally catch up with PSG
Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain make a risk-laden trip to the Mediterranean coast Sunday where bitter rivals Marseille and their developing English stars Mason Greenwood and Jonathan Rowe are sharpening their knives.
French football has several fierce rivalries, but Marseille vs. PSG is the clash that catches the eye as the southern club enjoy decades-old bragging rights having won the old European Cup, while the closest the Parisians have come is losing the Champions League final in 2020.
PSG could only draw with PSV Eindhoven in the league phase of the Champions League this week after a recent 2-0 defeat at Arsenal, meaning they have made an unimpressive start to their European campaign this season.
Marseille are lurking just three points behind the Ligue 1 leaders and are resurgent under former Brighton coach Roberto De Zerbi.
"We are Marseille, and we want to win this kind of match. We have the ambition. I want the players to be brave and go out and win it," De Zerbi said on Friday.
PSG, meanwhile, may appear less fearsome to their opponents having turned the page on the era of the now-departed superstar trio of Neymar, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.
Greenwood's arrival in France sparked controversy as the 23-year-old former Manchester United striker is attempting to rebuild his fledgling career after charges of attempted rape were dropped but not forgotten.
De Zerbi said he was focusing on Greenwood's potential.
"I expect even more from him. He's a different player from the others, he's really very good, but he can be even more complete, even more of a team man," the Italian said. "He has to work on the phase without the ball, but he is young, he is humble, very available. He can become a total player."
Greenwood's six goals so far and glimpses of class make him an early contender for player of the season in France, while the powerfully built England under-21 international Rowe, on loan from English Championship club Norwich, scored a sensational 95th-minute clincher in a 3-2 comeback win at Lyon in September.
PSG, though, are on a 27-match unbeaten run away from home in Ligue 1 - and the omens for Marseille are not good as the run started against them with a 3-0 win on February 26, 2023.
PSG will have to play without their supporters, who have been barred from Marseille's Stade Velodrome due to homophobic chants aimed at their opponents' fans.
A little further along the south coast, Nice, owned by Manchester United part-owner Jim Ratcliffe, host neighbours Monaco, who have made an impressive start to the season and have 20 points, the same number as PSG. Nice will want to build on their modest haul of 10 points.
Bruno Genesio pulled off a coup this week when his Lille side beat Atletico Madrid 3-1 in the Champions League. On their return to Ligue 1, they face off with Will Still's unbeaten Lens.
Player to watch: Bradley Barcola
PSG's Barcola is Ligue 1's top scorer with seven goals. He also scored for France in this month's Nations League action, netting in a 4-1 win over Israel.
Key stats
27: Number of matches in PSG's unbeaten run away from home in Ligue 1.
7: The number of wins PSG have in their last 10 encounters with Marseille.
5: Goals scored by Marseille when they thrashed bottom club Montpellier 5-0 in their last Ligue 1 outing.
Fixtures
Friday
- Rennes vs. Le Havre (1845)
Saturday
- Angers vs. Saint-Etienne
- Reims vs. Brest
- Lens vs. Lille
Sunday
- Lyon vs. Auxerre
- Strasbourg vs. Nantes
- Nice vs. Monaco
- Montpellier vs. Toulouse
- Marseille vs. Paris Saint-Germain