OM-PSG: mission impossible for the men of Rudi Garcia?

2018-10-27T07: 00: 00.000Z – Allan DELAMOTTE

This Sunday night at the Stade Vélodrome, Olympique de Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain will be eager to show a different face than their respective outings in this week's European Cup. Wednesday, PSG has come close to disappointment at home against Naples, tearing the draw (2-2) after a most disturbing performance. For OM, the report is hardly more encouraging. The Phocaean formation underwent Thursday the law of Lazio Rome at the Vél ', logically losing on the score of 3-1.

And everything suggests that the task will be at least as difficult facing the Parisian ogre. In ten days of Ligue 1, the Red and Blue have been full, winning all their meetings with great ease, including two overwhelming successes in the last two days, against Lyon (5-0) and Amiens (5-0). ).

OM's defense against the Parisian armada

In addition, the recent history of Marseille against the leader of the championship does not bode well. The Phoenicians have not won a single game against PSG since November 2011 (3-0), the first "clbadic" of the Qatari era. In six years, Marseille has suffered 14 defeats, for only 3 ties. Last year, Rudi Garcia's men touched the victory with their fingertips before seeing Cavani equalize in the last moments, completely cooling a Velodrome so far boiling (2-2). The other two meetings ended in defeats without appeal in the league (3-0) and the Coupe de France (3-0).

Unbalanced in its recent history, this shock of Ligue 1 is also in terms of balance of forces from a defensive and offensive point of view. Fourth in Ligue 1 before this meeting, the Marseillais certainly present the second best attack of the Hexagon with 22 goals scored, but only the ninth defense with 16 goals conceded. A defensive feverishness that could prove very problematic against the armada of PSG, with among others Neymar, Di Maria, Mbappé and Cavani, which already totals 37 goals in the league, by far the most prolific attack of Ligue 1 .

Thauvin and Thiago Silva, the great absentees?

At the level of the forces involved, the two teams could suffer absences of the same importance, including on the side of OM that Florian Thauvin, who has not played since France-Iceland, October 11, because of recurrent pain in the right heel due to a shoe problem. "We have to see with our consultant podiatrist, Jean-Luc Guer, who is super-efficient, he makes his own football shoes.We must also see with the equipment manufacturer, when we have a foot problem it is necessary adapt the shoes, it hurts him, the concern is in the heel, "said Rudi Garcia in a press conference Wednesday.

On the Paris side, the absence of Presnel Kimpembe has already been recorded, the French international being suspended two more games after his red card received against Lyon on 7 October (5-0). Could be added that of the captain Thiago Silva, injured hamstring. The latter trained on Thursday but remains very uncertain. In case of double absence in defense, Thomas Tuchel should rely on the newcomer Thilo Kehrer to take a place in hinge alongside Marquinhos.

One thing is certain, the desire to give the smile to the fans will be shared both on the Parisian side and on the Olympian side. Additional motivation for the Marseillais: they will have the opportunity to break the unbelievable series of unbeaten Parisians this season, which amounts to 10 games.