This Sunday, September 20, Paris Saint-Germain (7th) face Olympique de Marseille (13th) at the Stade Vélodrome (kick-off at 8:45 PM, CET) in Matchday 5 of the 2026-2027 Ligue 1 season. As always before a match, here is a look at the Parisians’ opponents.
OM’s Situation –
After a few somewhat chaotic years, Marseille attempted to stabilize during the summer of 2024 with the arrival of coach Roberto De Zerbi. Given his “explosive” temperament, it is hardly surprising that the arrangement didn’t last in the long run—especially considering the highly questionable management and the frequent upheavals within the club’s leadership.
OM embarked on a new direction this summer. Stéphane Richard arrived as president, replacing Pablo Longoria, while Grégory Lorenzi took over from Medhi Benatia as sporting director. There is even a new logo. However, Frank McCourt remains the owner, and there was no talk of investment during the transfer window; on the contrary, the focus was primarily on departures.
This hardly helped new coach Bruno Génésio get the new campaign off to a good start. After a flying start against Strasbourg (4-0), Marseille went on to suffer three consecutive league defeats.
The 2026 Summer Transfer Window –
Source: Transfermarkt.
Departures:
Arrivals:
Key statistics –
This season, OM ranks among the top 6 attacks in Ligue 1 with 6 goals scored (the leader, Strasbourg, has 9, and the bottom team, Nice, has 1), and among the top 9 defenses with 6 goals conceded (the leaders—Lille, Monaco, OL, and Paris FC—have conceded 2, while the bottom team, Auxerre, has conceded 11).
OM’s top scorer is Amine Gouiri (26-year-old forward); with 4 goals, he sits 2nd in the league (the leader is Kamory Doumbia, also with 4 goals). Angel Gomes (26-year-old midfielder) is the club’s top assist provider with 1 assist, ranking 40th in Ligue 1 (Panos Katseris leads with 3 assists).
OM’s last 5 matches –
Only Marseille’s possession is shown, and OM’s shots are listed first (where data is available).
21/08/2026 (Ligue 1) – Marseille vs. Strasbourg (down to 10 men in the 59th minute, 1-0): 4-0. Played in a 4-2-3-1 formation. 67% possession. 14 shots (8 on target) vs. 5 shots (1 on target).
30/01/2026 (Ligue 1) – Monaco vs. Marseille: 2-0. Played in a 4-2-3-1 formation. 64% possession. 10 shots (2 on target) vs. 9 shots (5 on target).
06/09/2026 (Ligue 1) – Marseille vs. Paris FC: 2-3. Played in a 4-2-3-1 formation. 60% possession. 12 shots (4 on target) vs. 16 shots (7 on target). 11/09/2026 (Ligue 1) –
Rennes vs. Marseille: 1-0. Played in a4-2-3-1 formation. 51% possession. 12 shots (5 on target) vs. 19 shots (6 on target).
17/09/2026 (Europa League) – Besiktas vs. Marseille: 4-1. 4-2-3-1 formation. 45% de possession. 14 tirs dont 2 cadrés contre 18 tirs (7 cadrés).
The squad –
Absents – Kondogbia, Nnadi (injury).
Probable lineup (4-2-3-1).
Gouiri
Paixão – Gomes – Abdallah
Abdelli – Hojbjerg
Emerson – Aguerd – Egan-Riley – Weah
De Lange
OM’s playing style.
Continuing from last season, OM aims to play attacking, proactive football. There is no intention of sitting back in a low block and playing on the counter—at least, not generally. An adjustment against PSG is certainly possible, but we could see a Marseille side looking to play aggressively at home and put Paris under pressure.
A word of caution: a slip-up that gives the Parisians space could prove very costly. However, the visitors will need to be ready to fight for every ball to avoid being overrun during this Classico.
