This Sunday, as part of Matchday 21 of the 2025-2026 Ligue 1 season, Paris Saint-Germain (1st) will face Olympique de Marseille (3rd) at the Parc des Princes (kick-off at 8:45 PM, CET). The referee for the match has been chosen: Willy Delajod (33 years old). He already has considerable experience in Ligue 1, with 136 matches under his belt.
The referee will be assisted by Erwan Finjean and Valentin Evrard. The fourth official will be Bastien Dechepy. Video assistance will be provided by Nicolas Rainville and Romain Lissorgue.
Yellow cards –
With Mr. Delajod as referee, we can expect yellow cards to be issued relatively freely during the match. Indeed, while the national average per match is 3.53 yellow cards (standard deviation of 0.39), Sunday’s referee has averaged 3.60 yellow cards per match throughout his Ligue 1 career (Transfermarkt figures). This is slightly higher than the average, but only marginally. As long as it doesn’t compromise player safety and avoids escalating tensions in the match, all the better.
Direct Red Cards –
The referee on Sunday was also slightly strict with direct red cards. Delajod has averaged 0.18 dismissals per match in his career, while the national average is 0.17 (standard deviation of 0.07). Therefore, there’s no question of letting bad behavior go unpunished, nor of handing out punishments indiscriminately. This could be the right balance for Le Classique.
Second Yellow Cards –
Willy Delajod typically sends off a player after their first yellow card in a Ligue 1 match. The national average is 0.09 (standard deviation of 0.03), while his is 0.12. With yellow and red cards just above the average, the idea of a certain severity, but without going overboard, is evident.
Penalties –
Finally, regarding penalties, the referee on Sunday was well above average with 0.44 penalties awarded per match, while the Ligue 1 average is 0.34 (standard deviation of 0.08).
