Marseille hosted Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain at the Stade Velodrome on Sunday with just a point separating the two sides in the league.
In what proved to a very interesting clash, PSG went a man down just past the half-hour mark when Thiago Motta was adjudged to have brought down Mathieu Valbuena inside the area. Andre Ayew made no mistake in converting the resultant spot kick.
However, PSG came storming back into the contest and equalised on the stroke of half time through Maxwell and then went 2-1 up in the 66th minute when Zlatan Ibrahimovic found the target from the penalty spot.
Read how the game unfolded with Sports Mole's live minute-by-minute text commentary below.
Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live commentary of what is sure to be a tantalising encounter between Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1. The Stade Velodrome is sure to be packed this evening and the home fans know how to make a racket, so it will be no walkover for PSG by any means.
First of all, let's have a bit of team news.
TEAM NEWS
MARSEILLE XI: Mandanda;Fanni, Nkoulou, Mendes, Mendy; Romao, Imbula; Payet, Valbuena, A. Ayew; J. Ayew
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN XI: Sirigu; Van Der Wiel, Alex, Marquinhos, Maxwell; Motta, Verratti, Matuidi; Cavani, Ibrahimovic, Lavezzi
Edinson Cavani and Zlatan Ibrahimovic both start for PSG this evening, then. There seems to be little doubt in Laurent Blanc's mind that a win is what his side are pushing for tonight. A reminder that if the away side triumph by four or more goals tonight, they'll move ahead of Monaco to the top of Ligue Un. A tough ask, but they've certainly got the firepower.
The away side have plenty of strength in their attack, too. They'll need to get Mathieu Valbuena on the ball as often as possible if they are to win tonight. His game has come on in leaps and bounds in the past 18 months.
Almost time for kickoff here at the Stade Velodrome. This is sure to be an exciting game, and I'm going to stick my neck out and say that Marseille are going to take all three points in a 2-1 win.
KICKOFF The match kicks off. It promises to be a very entertaining clash and let's hope that it turns out to be a goalfest!
The sparks are flying already as the passion is coming out to the fore. However, there has been little noteworthy action so far.
Both sides are cancelling each other out at the moment. Marseille were hogging the possession in the opening minutes, but PSG are now gaining ground.
Thiago Motta and Ezequiel Lavezzi now try to combine but in vain. The former releases the Argentine forward with a long ball forward out on the wide, but Rod Fanni stops him in his tracks.
Free kick to Marseille from a very good position – just outside the PSG penalty box. Can they make it count and surge in front?
CHANCE! Mathieu Valbuena takes the free kick and Salvatore Sirigu has to stretch himself to the fullest to turn it out for a corner.
The game is lacking quality at the moment as the two sides are cancelling out each other. PSG look to be more in control and are spreading the ball wide, but hosts Marseille are well organised and are making it tough for the visitors to make their way in.
Fifteen minutes gone, and it’s still goalless between Marseille and PSG at Stade Velodrome. There has not really been a clear-cut chance except that Valbuena free kick after 10 minutes. The contest has yet to explode.
CHANCE! Gregory van der Wiel makes a good run down the right flank and floats in a wonderful cross, but there is no-one in a PSG shirt near the cross.
CHANCE! Marseille go so so close to taking the lead. Benjamin Mendy drills in a brilliant cross from the left flank that falls to Jordan Ayew, who shoots on target but at the near post where Sirigu makes an instinctive save and then turns away Valbuena's effort. Wonderful goalkeeping from Sirigu.
Both Cavani and Ibrahimovic have started tonight but neither has particularly looked bright so far. PSG are looking a bit disjointed in attack – they are trying to create a string of several passes and then put in the final killer ball, but Marseille are very much organised at the back.
PSG now earn a corner. Can they take advantage of it?
No, they cannot as Thiago Motta’s delivery is easily claimed by Steve Mandanda. The match has really not come to life except for two moments.
CHANCE! Marseille go close again and this time it is Rod Fanni who crafts the chance for the hosts. He goes on a mazy run, gets past Maxwell down the right and surges into the PSG penalty box, but Alex’s presence in the box makes the difference for the visitors.
PENALTY! Marseille are awarded a penalty! Thiago Motta brings down Mathieu Valbuena inside the area and the referee points to the penalty spot.
RED CARD! Thiago Motta is sent off! PSG are a man down and could be a goal down. The midfielder is shown a direct red card for his challenge on Valbuena. It does appear to be a harsh decision – it was a foul, but was it a red card?
GOAL! Marseille 1-0 PSG (Andre Ayew)
Andre Ayew steps up, takes the penalty and scores! Marseille lead 1-0.
CHANCE! PSG almost level things up as Verratti heads a delivery on goal but Mandanda makes an easy save.
SUBSTITUTION PSG coach Laurent Blanc is forced to make a change given that his side are down to 10 men. Adrien Rabiot comes on for Ezequiel Lavezzi.
YELLOW CARD To bring you confirmation of a yellow card that was shown to a PSG player for protesting to the referee for the sending-off and the spot kick. Marco Verratti has gone into the referee’s books in the 32nd minute.
YELLOW CARD It’s 1-1 as far as yellow cards go. Rod Fanni goes into the books for his rather bad challenge on Maxwell.
CHANCE! Zlatan Ibrahimovic takes his first shot on target with a first-time effort as the ball falls to him, but Mandanda makes a good save. It is interesting to note that since PSG went down to 10 men, they have had two shots on target. With 11 men, they had none.
The match has now kicked into life. PSG are a man and a goal down. Lavezzi had to be sacrificed, but Ibrahimovic and Cavani both are on the pitch. Marseille are looking calm and composed, and organised.
PSG have a half-chance again as they come pouring into the Marseille penalty box, but the ball is cleared eventually.
GOAL! Marseille 1-1 PSG (Maxwell)
Maxwell scores just on the stroke of half time and brings 10-man PSG back into the game and back on level terms! A wonderfully crafted attacking move from the visitors saw van der Wiel receive the ball on the right. He floats in a lovely cross that Maxwell heads home from just yards out.
Two minutes of injury time have been awarded. Marseille will be so disappointed at conceding the late first-half goal, but one has to hail PSG’s character.
HALF TIME: Marseille 1-1 PSG
It’s half time at Stade Velodrome where Marseille and PSG are level at 1-1. The hosts surged ahead in the 34th minute when Andre Ayew scored from the penalty spot but Maxwell headed the visitors back into the match on the stroke of half time. However, Laurent Blanc’s side are a man down as Thiago Motta was sent off after giving away the spot kick.
Marseille will be kicking themselves for conceding the equaliser, especially with PSG having gone a man down. Certainly they should have gone into the interval with a one-goal advantage.
However, one must give PSG some credit for clawing their way back into the match after going a goal and a man down. All of the chances that the French champions created came after the red card and the goal.
The second half will begin shortly at Stade Velodrome. It will be interesting to see what approach PSG take. Since they conceded the goal, the momentum has been all theirs and indeed if they had not been a goal down, one would have placed a bet on them to come out all guns blazing in the second half and go for the kill.
However, PSG will play the second half with just 10 men and this means that Marseille will have the advantage. However, the home side have not shown much creativity really in the contest, even though when it was 0-0, they had all the chances.
The two sets of players are now on the pitch and the second half will kick off in a matter of minutes.
KICKOFF Marseille get the second half underway. It is 1-1 from the first half.
It has been a slow start to the second half as the two teams are gradually getting into the grove of things.
Alex’s howler almost let Marseille in! He lost control of the ball that allowed Ayew and Fanni to combine inside the area, but thankfully on this occasion, the home side could not punish PSG for their mistake.
Excellent tackle from 19-year-old Marquinhos to get the ball off Ayew’s feet for a throw-in. He has looked solid and mature at the back tonight, and has been helped in part by the presence of the experienced Alex next to him.
A half-chance for Marseille as Valbuena sends Jordan Ayew through on the edge of the PSG box, but the forward fails to control the ball properly and PSG launch a counter-attack. Ibrahimovic lifts a ball over the top for Blaise Matuidi, but he is wonderfully dispossessed of the ball.
YELLOW CARD Yellow card for Marseille’s Dimitri Payet, who lunges into Marco Verratti. He is angry with the referee for booking him, but all his protests won’t change the official’s mind.
The match has got the passion, the goals and a red card, but it has lacked in quality, to be honest. And the intensity. But there are over 30 minutes left and things could change.
One can hear Marseille fans’ jeers as PSG control the ball inside their own half without looking to make any concrete move forward. One suspects that Blanc may have asked his players to see out this match and play for a draw.
Marseille create another half-chance as the ball ping-pongs inside the PSG area before Verratti heads it back to Sirigu.
Ibrahimovic and Cavani try to combine but fail yet again. It is the Swedish striker who attempts to release the former Napoli man through the middle, but his ball is too heavy and goes out of play.
CHANCE! Brilliant save from Sirigu as he turns out Dimitri Payet’s ferocious shot from 20 yards for a corner that eventually yields nothing. It was a sensational and vicious attempt from Payet, as Marseille are looking to increase the tempo and swing back momentum their way.
PENALTY! PSG are given the penalty! Andrew Ayew brings down Marquinhos inside the area, and the referee points to the spot.
GOAL! Marseille 1-2 PSG (Zlatan Ibrahimovic)
Ibrahimovic steps up, takes the spot kick and scores. Ten-man PSG are now 2-1 up against their bitter rivals Marseille at Stade Velodrome.
SUBSTITUTION Marseille make a change now in response to that second goal from PSG. Jordan Ayew is replaced byAndre-Pierre Gignac.
What a turnaround! PSG were a man and a goal down at one stage in the first half; they are still a man down but are 2-1 up with just over 20 minutes left. It was really a very bad and uncalled-for challenge from Andre Ayew on Marquinhos for that penalty, as the PSG defender was actually nowhere near goal.
SUBSTITUTION Another change for Marseille. Saber Khelifa comes on for Dimitri Payet. The home side are going for the kill then!
At this moment, it does not look like PSG are a man down! They look very organised and have a clear plan of what they are trying to do. Marseille are shell-shocked!
Rod Fanni should count himself lucky as the referee stops himself from showing him a second yellow card. He brings down Edinson Cavani in midfield and the challenge on its own would have warranted a yellow card on any other occasion, but this time the referee pardons him, probably knowing that the Marseille has already been booked this evening.
Half-chance for Marseille as Gignac flashes an effort over the crossbar for the home side. OM really need to show urgency and pace if they want to earn themselves a draw from tonight’s match.
SUBSTITUTION Zlatan Ibrahimovic is now replaced by Zoumana Camara. A very defensive substitution by Blanc. Interestingly, Ibra is actually booked while he is going off the pitch, presumably for taking his own sweet time.
The Marseille fans have actually turned on their own players in the last few minutes as they want them to surge forward and bomb the PSG defence. Fair to OM, they are doing so at the moment but they are just not getting it right.
Another defensive clearance from Marquinhos, who has looked very, very solid and mature at the back. He is rated as one of the best young players in the world and today he is proving why.
SUBSTITUTION Final change for the home side. Florian Thauvin replaces Gilbert Imbula Wanga.
SUBSTITUTION Final change for PSG as well. Cavani goes off and on comes Lucas Moura. Interestingly, Cavani is also shown the yellow card for taking too much time in getting off the pitch.
Just over five minutes remain in this match, PSG lead Marseille 2-1 at the moment. PSG are a man down and they are being forced back in the final stages of the clash, but you get the feeling that the second goal for the visitors has deflated the entire OM team. They seem to have resigned themselves to a defeat this evening.
Ayew and Valbuena try to combine down the right but PSG’s defence is strong and clever enough to clear away the danger. Marseille are still struggling to really increase the intensity and really force themselves on their bitter rivals.
PSG play some good passing football around the Marseille penalty box, as Blaise Matuidi, Adrien Rabiot and Marco Verratti all combine. The visitors do not look like they are a man down at all!
CHANCE! Best chance for Marseille since they conceded the second goal, and this time Sirigu is actually forced to make a decent save. A cross is floated in from the right by Fanni that Florian Thauvin gets a downward header on goal, but not past the PSG keeper.
Three minutes of injury time have been awarded – three minutes for Marseille to find a goal and earn a point. Unlikely.
Last chance for Marseille is nipped in the bud by the excellent Blaise Matuidi, who clears the ball off Florian Thauvin.
YELLOW CARD Maxwell gets into the referee’s books as Marseille are awarded a free kick just outside the PSG box for Matuidi’s tackle on Valbuena. Last chance for Marseille, surely.
FULL TIME: Marseille 1-2 Paris Saint-Germain
The free kick hits the PSG wall and the referee blows the final whistle. PSG have come from a man and a goal down to defeat their bitter rivals and title challengers Marseille 2-1 at Stade Velodrome. It is a great victory for Laurent Blanc’s side, who go back to the top of the Ligue 1 table along with Monaco.
Andre Ayew opened the scoring at Stade Velodrome with a penalty after 34 minutes in an incident that saw Thiago Motta sent off. However, Paris Saint-Germain came storming back into the contest and levelled the scores through Maxwell on the stroke of half time. Then PSG were awarded their own spot kick midway through the second half that Zlatan Ibrahimovic slotted home for a memorable comeback victory.
I hope that you enjoyed our live coverage of the Ligue 1 clash. Thank you for joining Sports Mole and have a good night. It’s goodbye from me for now.
