In a long-awaited duel for the reunion between Lionel Messi and Jorge Sampaoli post-fiasco of Russia 2018, Paris Saint Germain (28 points) and the local Olympique de Marseille (18) did not take advantages in the classic of the eleventh date of the French Ligue One. There were also Angel Di María (played 60 minutes) and Mauro Icardi (on the bench) for those led by Mauricio Pochettino, and former Boca Leonardo Baleri among the substitutes for the homeowner.
In a match in which emotions collided with the millimeter precision of the VAR, two goals were disallowed per forward position – one per side – in the first half, the most attractive. That was when the stellar trio of Mbappé-Messi-Neymar had the clearest for PSG, which promised more than it specified.
Messi, with a discreet performance, flirted with the goal when he was left with a rebound almost under the crossbar but his header, without the necessary power, was cleared to the corner by the Spanish goalkeeper Pau López.
The match broke down in the 56th minute when Moroccan Achraf Hakimi was sent off for a last-man offense at the goal area. In the first instance, the referee chose to punish the fallen Marseille player for a hand but after reviewing it in the VAR he changed his decision. The free kick was executed by the local ten, Dimitri Payet, who sent it quite outside.
From then on, PSG was delayed, bet to take care of the point and, in any case, to take the victory with a counterattack commanded by their cracks. The initiative became the exclusive property of the local team that, had it not been for the astonishing lack of definition of their attack men, would have celebrated: the clearest was the American Konrad De la Fuente, who was left alone facing the goal when The match was over and, in the face of such a stage, he finished off very wide.
With more surnames than football at the Velodrome in Marseille, a good part of the history of the match went through the climate in the stands, typical of a hot classic. It was difficult for visiting players to take corners, for example, in the face of the rain of objects that fell from each corner, while the smoke from the flares made up the opening minutes.
As if that were not enough, in the second half, a fan cut off a counterattack to PSG when he got onto the pitch and ran at full speed -and with jeans- to Messi. When he noticed it, the Rosario half hugged him while he hid the ball with his feet, since the round one seemed to be the main objective of the intruder.
The positions
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