By Jerome Brisard

Copyright pulsesports

The latest edition of Le Classique sees league leaders PSG visit Marseille at the Velodrome in a crucial Ligue 1 clash, 24 hours before the Ballon d’Or ceremony.

The fierce rivalry between Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain will be reignited as the two French giants clash in the fifth round of Ligue 1 at the Stade Orange Velodrome on September 21, 2025.

This edition of Le Classique, scheduled for 7:45 PM local time and officiated by Jerome Brisard, promises to be a captivating encounter between Roberto De Zerbi’s Marseille, currently sitting seventh in the table, and league leaders PSG under Luis Enrique.

Luis Enrique’s side arrive in perfect form with five straight wins, while Roberto De Zerbi’s Marseille have been inconsistent with two wins and three losses in their last five matches.

PSG have dominated recent meetings, winning all five of their last encounters against their bitter rivals.

For context, the last time Marseille won a game of football against PSG was on February 8, 2023, with a 2-1 victory in the Coupe de France.

Sunday’s match represents not just a battle for three points but also the continuation of one of France’s most storied football rivalries, just hours before the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony.

Marseille vs PSG: Team News

Marseille (4-2-3-1, Roberto De Zerbi)
Goalkeeper: Geronimo Rulli (1)
Defence: Amir Murillo (62), Benjamin Pavard (28), Leonardo Balerdi (5), Facundo Medina (32)
Midfield: Angel Gomes (8), Geoffrey Kondogbia (19), Mason Greenwood (10), Bilal Nadir (26), Timothy Weah (22)
Forward: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (97)
Absent: Nayef Aguerd, Ruben Blanco, Hamed Traore

Paris Saint-Germain (4-3-3, Luis Enrique)
Goalkeeper: Lucas Chevalier (30)
Defence: Achraf Hakimi (2), Marquinhos (5), Willian Pacho (51), Nuno Mendes (25)
Midfield: Warren Zaire-Emery (33), Vitinha (17), Fabian Ruiz (8)
Forward: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (7), Senny Mayulu (24), Bradley Barcola (29)
Absent: Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, Joao Neves

Marseille vs PSG: Head To Head

The recent history between these two rivals heavily favors Paris Saint-Germain, who have won all five of their most recent encounters against Marseille.

Their last meeting on March 16, 2025, saw PSG secure a comfortable 3-1 victory at the Parc des Princes, with Ousmane Dembele and Nuno Mendes scoring for the Parisians and Amine Gouiri netting a consolation for Marseille.

Prior to that, PSG dominated with a 3-0 win at the Velodrome in October 2024, continuing their impressive run which includes another 2-0 victory in Marseille in March 2024 and a commanding 4-0 triumph in Paris in September 2023.

Marseille Form (Last 5 Matches)

Marseille enter this clash with inconsistent form, having won two and lost three of their last five matches across all competitions.

They suffered a 2:1 defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League on September 16, but bounced back with an impressive 4:0 victory against Lorient in Ligue 1 on September 12.

Prior to that, they lost 1:0 to Lyon on August 31, following a high-scoring 5:2 win against Paris FC on August 23.

Their league campaign began with a disappointing 1:0 loss to Rennes on August 15. With 6 points from 4 matches, Marseille currently sit 7th in Ligue 1, having scored 9 goals while conceding 4.

PSG Form (Last 5 Matches)

In contrast, Paris Saint-Germain have been in imperious form, winning all five of their recent matches.

They dismantled Atalanta 4:0 in the Champions League on September 17 and defeated Lens 2:0 in Ligue 1 on September 14.

Earlier, they secured a thrilling 6:3 away victory against Toulouse on August 30, following 1:0 wins against both Angers on August 22 and Nantes on August 17.

PSG top the Ligue 1 table with a perfect record of 12 points from 4 matches, having scored 10 goals and conceded just 3.

Marseille vs PSG: Prediction

Pretending this match is anything other than what it is, is a waste of time.

Despite the absence of three key players, PSG still have more than enough to win on Sunday night. Comfortably.

The Parisians are notorious for ruthlessly demolishing the big teams in France, come rain, come sunshine.

On Monday night the eyes of world football turn to Paris for the Ballon d’Or ceremony.

Ousmane Dembele is on the leading favourite for the biggest prize, Achraf Hakimi too is a nominee, and several others in this PSG machine are lined up for Team of the Year recognition.

You think they are going to stroll into Marseille the evening before football’s glitziest awards bash and play at half speed? Not a chance.

Sunday’s game is a statement game, a chance to remind the voters why the Parisian giants are the Champions of Europe.

Expect fireworks, expect goals, expect a little arrogance. This is the fixture where the capital club traditionally underlines the gulf in French football, and with the Ballon d’Or looming, the motivation to shine could not be clearer. Marseille may host, but it more likely they are hosting their own dismantling.

We predict a Straight PSG win at a delicious 1.84 odds on LiveScore Bet OR Over 2.5 goals to be scored in the match, with the chances currently pegged at a valuable 1.52 odds.