Every one of Europe's "Big 5" leagues has its share of derby clashes, and Ligue 1 is no exception. The rivalry between Olympique de Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain, due to the two sides' differences - south against the north, upper class versus working class - is the big one French football fans look forward to each season. Nicknamed "Le Classique" or the "Derby de France", there are at least two editions of this match in every campaign and this Sunday, it will be Marseille's turn to play host as they take on PSG at the Stade Vélodrome.
Olympique de Marseille
Marseille have not beaten PSG in a Classique clash since November 27, 2011, when they defeated Les Parisiens 3-0. Since then, they have lost all but one of their past meetings, with the exception of a 2-2 draw on October 7, 2012 where Zlatan Ibrahimović and Andre-Pierre Gignac were the stars of the show with a brace apiece.
Indeed, it has been nothing but misery for Marseille in recent times, who have lost their past six meetings - eight if one includes the Coupe de la Ligue and the Coupe de France - against their upcoming opponents. The most recent Classique was decided by another Ibrahimović brace, and in fact, this game will feature two players who have set a record in France's most famous derby. With eight goals, Ibrahimović is the all-time top scorer, whilst Marseille's captain, goalkeeper Steve Mandanda has made the most appearances with 20.
In terms of their league form, Sunday's hosts have not lost since a 1-0 reversal against Nice on November 8th, but Michel's men still sit in eighth place, and their home form is something that should concern the team's fans, due to this worrying stat: Marseille have failed to pick up all three points in their last nine home matches. With seven draws and two defeats, they have ended up dropping 20 points - something that would have certainly helped their current position; in fact, they would actually be second in the table with 54 points as opposed to the 34 they have earned so far.
Florian Thauvin will miss out due to a ban; however, Marseille fans will be pleased that top goal-scorer Michy Batshuayi will be back from suspension. Veteran midfielder Lassana Diarra may be fit to feature, but Lucas Ocampos, Abou Diaby, and Benjamin Mendy are all still recovering from injury.
PSG
Laurent Blanc's men set a new record when they defeated Lorient 3-1 in their midweek fixture. Not only are they on course to become the first French side to complete an entire campaign without a loss, but the victory over Lorient brings them to 33 games sans defeat. 30 of those have been wins, and the other three have resulted in stalemates. Angers, who held them to a 0-0 draw back on December 1, 2015, were the last team to successfully prevent PSG from earning all three points.
Since then, they have been absolutely perfect, picking up eight consecutive wins - including a 5-1 thrashing of the same Angers side that managed to frustrate them last year - and have widened their already impressive gap at the top of the table. Les Parisiens were able to maintain clean sheets in five out of those eight wins, and overall conceded just four goals; overall so far this season, they have shipped just 11.
Meanwhile, they have scored a whopping 24 goals - or an average of three a game - since the start of this winning streak and they will be expected to score against Marseille on Sunday evening, especially given that they are unbeaten in their last 17 away Ligue 1 fixtures (with 15 of those being wins). Ibrahimović, who has been directly involved in eight of the team's last ten away goals (with two assists and six goals), as well as new signing Angel Di Maria will be expected to make a big impact at the Stade Vélodrome on Sunday evening.
In terms of personnel, Blanc will have to make do without Grégory Van der Wiel and Marco Verratti, and Javier Pastore, who is still recovering may not be risked for this match.
Which channel is broadcasting Marseille vs PSG on TV or Online?
Despite the league title already being decided, any match between Marseille and PSG is one not to miss, and the Stade Vélodrome will be playing host to the second Classique of the 2015/2016 season. PSG supporters, however have been apparently banned from the game due to security concerns. However, if you are not able to make it in person, LiveSoccerTV has plenty of good options to catch the game via TV, phone, computer, or tablet.
Here are some selections for fans residing in the following countries:
- In the USA at 15.00 EST on: beIN SPORTS CONNECT U.S.A.
- In France at 21.00 CET on: Ligue 1 Orange App
- In the UK at 20.00 GMT on: BT Sport Live Streaming, BT Sport Europe
- In Canada at 15.00 EST on: beIN SPORTS CONNECT Canada
Live elsewhere? Check out our special Olympique de Marseille vs PSG broadcast page for viewing times and options for wherever you call home.
*Note: Live broadcast data is subject to change*
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
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