Paris, France – In a stunning display of dominance, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) crushed their bitter rivals Olympique Marseille 5-0 on Sunday night, reclaiming the top spot in Ligue 1. The victory at the Parc des Princes was a statement of intent from the defending champions, who have now won seven straight league matches.
The opening minutes saw Marseille pressing high, but PSG quickly punished them for a missed opportunity. In the 12th minute, Desire Doue released Nuno Mendes, who squared the ball for Ousmane Dembele to tap in the opening goal. PSG then began to dominate possession, stretching Marseille's defense. Bradley Barcola hit the post, and Doue forced a save from Marseille's goalkeeper, Jeffrey de Lange.
Dembele doubled the lead in the 37th minute, capitalizing on a defensive error from Leonardo Balerdi to drive a powerful shot into the net. Marseille attempted to respond after the break, but PSG remained relentless. The third goal came in the 64th minute when Facundo Medina diverted a volley from Joao Neves into his own net. Two minutes later, Dembele turned provider, setting up Khvicha Kvaratskhelia for a controlled volley to make it 4-0. Substitute Kang-In Lee completed the rout in the 74th minute, finishing from Senny Mayulu's pass.
Ousmane Dembele was the star of the show, scoring two goals and providing an assist. His performance highlighted why he is a Ballon d'Or winner. PSG's coach, Luis Enrique, will be delighted with his team's performance as they avenged their 1-0 defeat at the Velodrome earlier in the season.
Marseille's coach, Roberto De Zerbi, will face scrutiny after his team's dismal performance. Key players like Mason Greenwood and Amine Gouiri were anonymous, and goalkeeper Jeffrey de Lange, who replaced Geronimo Rulli, had a difficult night. A potential turning point was a late tackle by PSG's Vitinha on Leonardo Balerdi, which only resulted in a yellow card.
The win puts PSG two points clear of Lens at the top of Ligue 1. "We wanted to send a message that we're back," said Dembele after the match. PSG's dominant performance in Le Classique has certainly sent that message loud and clear.