Tick, tock, tick, tock… The countdown is on and there are only a few hours left to wait for OM supporters before the Clasico kicks off, this Sunday evening (8:45 p.m.), in a stadium Velodrome which should break its attendance record. The wait is identical on the side of Pablo Longoria, Medhi Benatia, Roberto De Zerbi and the Olympians for this poster of the French championship, what's more without a European Cup to compete. A shock which pits the two best attacks in Ligue 1 this season (21 goals for OM, 25 for PSG), and the third against the first (tied with AS Monaco, three points ahead).
With hope slung over their shoulders, Leonardo Balerdi and his teammates are impatient at the idea of coming up against PSG led by Luis Enrique. A Qatari-Parisian club orphaned by its global stars and which now seems within reach of the Marseillais, whose squad was reinforced this summer by the thunderous signings of Pierre-Émile Hojbjerg, Mason Greenwood, Adrien Rabiot and Geronimo Rulli, among others . Since 2012 and the arrival with great fanfare of Qatar, with the stacking of cracks (from Zlatan to Mbappé via Cavani, Messi and Neymar), never have the two teams seemed so close, at least on the paper. “We want to put OM back as high as possible“, confirmed “Leo” Balerdi.
It is therefore undoubtedly the ideal time to put some respect back on the name of the Olympique while the last success of the Olympians in their lair in the championship against PSG dates back thirteen years ago, under the leadership of Didier Deschamps . There was indeed this ecstatic victory in the round of 16 of the Coupe de France, two years ago with Igor Tudor, but it is too little for generations above all subscribed to disillusionment.
Considerations that Roberto De Zerbi doesn't really care about, that being said, such as whether this PSG is more or less strong than previous seasons. The Italian technician has only one idea in mind when it comes to taking on the Parisian rival: to impose his game.We must not forget that we are OM, we want to have the ball. It will be difficult, we have to respect the French champion. But when you sign for Marseille, you have to have the ambition to be able to win these matches, otherwise you might as well change clubs“, insisted the Lombard coach on Friday at La Commanderie.
The tactical battle between “RDZ” and Luis Enrique will also be closely scrutinized, just like the other matches in this match, like the distance duel between Greenwood and Barcola, the two top scorers in L1, or the one between the two doormen, Rulli and Donnarumma. Even the referee's whistle (François Letexier) will be closely observed after the controversies of recent weeks (exclusions of Cornelius, Balerdi and Maupay) and the sanctions inflicted on the Marseille leaders.
In a Vel' necessarily hostile to Parisians, whose fans have once again been banned from traveling, all spectators will therefore have their eyes riveted on the green rectangle. But the authorities will also listen to the stands and the corners. In the midst of controversy over the recurrence of homophobic chants in stadiums, and while the government rushed to make announcements this week, OM issued a press release on Saturday to call on its supporters “to support their team by being faithful to what makes the essence of the club and of Marseille: fervor, passion, solidarity, respect“. “We must not tolerate this discrimination”, supported De Zerbi the day before.
This will clearly be another issue of this very special evening, the key word of which is indeed respect.
