Paris Saint-Germain duo Goncalo Ramos and Vitinha fired their 10-man team to a 2-0 win against fierce rivals Marseille in Le Classique on Sunday.
TELL ME MORE
It was a fairly open game from beginning to end as Marseille looked up for the fight from the off, but PSG soon started to find some momentum.
The reigning French champions' evening became all the more difficult, however, when Lucas Beraldo was shown a red card late in the first half. The defender, already on a booking, shoved Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang off the field as they raced for the ball. The referee initially gave a free-kick without a second yellow, but he was called over to review the replay and deemed Beraldo had denied a goalscoring opportunity - despite the incident occurring just beyond the halfway line - and showed Beraldo a red card.
PSG covered for the loss of Beraldo well, however, and took the lead eight minutes into the second half when Vitinha received the ball and darted through Marseille's half. He sent it wide to Ousmane Dembele who immediately cut it back to Vitinha to lash in the opening goal. Marseille thought they had pulled level shortly afterwards when Jordan Veretout lashed into the net but it was disallowed for offside.
Surprisingly, Luis Enrique decided to take off Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele with 25 minutes left to play despite their quality - the ex-Barcelona winger, in particular, had put in a good shift. The coach was soon vindicated for that decision, though. After a long period of Marseille being denied time and time again by Gianluigi Donnarumma, it was Mbappe's replacement, Goncalo Ramos, who sealed the win with a fine finish to a devastating counter attack.
THE MVP
Playing with only 10 men for so long against fierce opponents, PSG needed a moment of magic to break the deadlock and pick up some momentum. Luckily for Luis Enrique, Vitinha provided that when he went on a blistering run through the middle and linked up expertly with Dembele before scoring the decisive goal. Then in the 79th minute he made a vital block to prevent a promising Marseille shot from getting through.
THE BIG LOSER
He may feel hard done by for being sent off, but Beraldo's foul on Aubameyang put his team under great pressure for the majority of the game. He was already on a yellow card and the ball had been knocked clear by the time he made contact, turning it into a risky move and giving Marseille hope of getting something throughout the match.
WHAT COMES NEXT?
PSG will look to keep their quadruple hopes alive in their next game as they come up against Rennes in the Coupe de France semi-finals on Wednesday. Three days later, they return to Ligue 1 action with a home game against Clermont Foot.
[(Shimizu S-Pulse) Weakness]: 1. Shimizu S-Pulse are 13th in the J1 League table. Facing 2nd-placed Kashima Antlers, they will find it hard to win this match due to their declining form, indicating doubtful motivation.2. Shimizu S-Pulse defender Yuji Takahashi and forward Sena Saito will miss this league game due to injuries.3. Shimizu S-Pulse were winless with 2 draws and 3 losses in the last 5 g...
Liverpool table fresh Guehi bidAccording to The Athletic, Liverpool have submitted a fresh bid worth £35 million ($47m) to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace. The Reds had earlier seen two bids rejected by the Eagles, but they remain hopeful that this time the offer will be accepted.Fenerbahce eyeing move for EdersonTurkish Super Lig giants Fenerbahce are eyeing a move for out-of-favour Manc...
Roma medical for Liverpool fullback TsimikasAS Roma are holding a medical for Kostas Tsimikas today.The Liverpool fullback is leaving Anfield after finding himself third-choice this season behind fellow left-backs Andrew Robertson and Milos Kerkez.La Gazzetta dello Sport says the Greece international is expected in Italy today to finalise his move.Tsimikas will undergo a medical ahead of signing a...
FBL-ENG-PR-CHELSEA-FULHAMMarco Silva has demanded an explanation from the Premier League after lambasting three "shocking" refereeing decisions in Fulham's 2-0 Premier League loss at Chelsea.WHAT HAPPENED?The Whites thought they had taken the lead against their west London rivals Chelsea when 18-year-old Josh King coolly slotted past Robert Sanchez. However, the goal was chalked off by referee Rob...
[(Shonan Bellmare) Strength]: 1. Shonan Bellmare are one of the bottom teams in the table, taking 25 points and being in the relegation zone. They are strongly motivated to grab points.[(Shonan Bellmare) Neutral]: 1. Shonan Bellmare drew the last 4 home games, revealing mediocre home performances.[(Shonan Bellmare) Weakness]: 1. Shonan Bellmare lost 1-0 to Fagiano Okayama on the road in the last g...
Manchester United Training Session And Press Conference - UEFA Europa League Final 2025Chelsea have completed the signing of Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United.WHAT HAPPENED?Garnacho has signed a seven-year contract with the Blues after the two Premier League clubs agreed a deal worth a fixed £40 million fee ($54m) with a 10 per cent sell-on clause, Goal understands. The 21-year-old ha...
Marc Guehi Crystal Palace 2025-26Liverpool have launched a fresh bid for Marc Guehi as they hope that Crystal Palace will finally accept their proposal and agree to sell their star defender before the summer transfer window closes on Monday. The Reds have been linked with a move for the England international throughout the summer and the champions are determined to secure his signature.WHAT HAPPEN...
West Ham United v Lille OSC - Pre-Season FriendlyAston Villa are close to signing West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta on an initial loan with an obligation to buy next summer.WHAT HAPPENED?Villa are on the brink of agreeing a £47 million (€54m/$63m) package for Paqueta which includes a loan fee and add-ons, according to Fabrizio Romano. The report also states the 28-year-old has ac...
[(Nagoya Grampus) Strength]: 1. Nagoya Grampus currently have only 28 points and are near the bottom of the league table. To avoid relegation, they need to earn points.[(Nagoya Grampus) Neutral]: 1. Nagoya Grampus' 7 successive games ended with OVER.[(Nagoya Grampus) Weakness]: 1. Nagoya Grampus lost 2-4 to Sanfrecce Hiroshima in their last Emperor's Cup game, with poor performance.2. In the lates...
Cody Gakpo Liverpool 2025Premier League champions Liverpool have confirmed that star attacker Cody Gakpo has put pen to paper on a new long-term contract, which has extended his stay at Anfield beyond 2028. The Dutchman who joined the club in January 2023, during the Jurgen Klopp era, has established himself as a regular starter under new boss Arne Slot and has now committed his future to the Reds...
