We move away from the Premier League on Sunday evening and head to France and Ligue 1 for a massive game between Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain. Le Classique as the game is better known locally is the biggest game in the French domestic football calendar. It is a rivalry that grew in the early 1990s, when Marseille were the dominant force in French football and, for a short while, in Europe. PSG are now streets ahead of the rest in France it seems and it was a real shock that Lille managed to take the Ligue 1 crown off them last season. The visitors are already 9 points clear at the top of the table and 10 clear of Marseille, however it does feel that if any side is capable of stopping them then it is an impressive Marseille side. Expecting a cracker here and there should be a ferocious atmosphere at the wonderful theatre which is the Stade Velodrome. As always on these previews, I have put together my three favourite bet builder tips and predictions for the game alongside my cheat sheet to assist you with your selections.
Marseille v PSG Bet Builder tips
Over 2.5 Goals in Marseille v PSG
The top two scorers in the French top tier face off and I fancy goals here. Both sides are expected to be at near enough full strength from an attacking point of view with Neymar expected to return to the squad from the groin injury which kept him out of the midweek win over Leipzig. He may not be deemed quite fit enough to start but should make the bench leaving the formidable trio of Di Maria, Mbappe and Messi to start and I expect them to cause carnage on the Marseille backline The hosts are no mugs going forwards either with the impressive forward line of Milik and Payet tipped to start. Over 2.5 goals have featured in 70% of PSG league games this season which is the highest record in the division and against a side with the forward quality of Marseille I can’t see this one being short on goals.
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Over 2.5 Goals in Marseille v PSG @ 1.5 at Paddy Power
Lionel Messi to Score Anytime v Marseille
No doubt that the 3-2 midweek win over Leipzig was the best individual performance that Messi has put in since signing for PSG. He bagged a brace including a trademark panenka penalty which illustrates the Argentinian captain has his mojo back after a slightly slow start to his career in the French capital by his ridiculously high standards. He still has 3 goals in his 6 PSG appearances but is yet to net in Ligue 1 and as a man who loves the big stage I really fancy him to notch in what is probably the biggest league game of the season for PSG. As always, pens and freekicks will be taken by Messi which further increases his chance of a goal and really fancy to notch on Sunday night.
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Lionel Messi to Score Anytime v Marseille @ 1.67 at Paddy Power
Matteo Guendouzi to be Booked v PSG
Now this guy is a right little s*** isn’t he? You certainly can’t miss him with his David Luiz rip-off haircut and he is always a man in the thick of the action. He is a talent, no doubt but there is a reason Arsenal couldn’t get rid of him fast enough with multiple stories surrounding his attitude and general demeanor around the training ground regularly winding up his teammates. Similar stories have come out at Marseille in his short time there but at the moment the quality of his performances are just about outweighing how annoying he is so he continues to start in the Marseille midfield.
Arteta is not the first coach to have found Guendouzi challenging to deal with – Mickaël Landreau, his coach at Lorient, once saying that he was ”really annoying, very hard to manage. But he is a fighter, he never gives up. He has an oversized ego, but you need them.“ His cheat sheet stats are decent too where he averages a foul a game and has picked up a card in Ligue 1. However it is more to do with his mindset in big games which sets him apart and I am confident he won’t be able to shut out his emotions in this one and as a result I fancy him to pick up a card in what is sure to be a feisty game.
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Matteo Guendouzi to be Shown a Card v PSG @ 2.5 at Paddy Power
Dimitri Payet to have 1+ Shot on Target v PSG
Despite being the ripe old age of 34, Payet continues to show what a truly world class player he is. We saw during his time at West Ham what a spectacular footballer he can be and the way he has started the season at Marseille shows there are no signs the former French international is slowing down. 5 goals and 4 assists to his name in just 6 league appearances sees him come into this game in tip-top form and I fancy him to be the man that the hosts will look for to make the difference if they are to have any chance against PSG on Sunday night.
His cheat sheet stats are not surprisingly impressive and with Payet likely to be on both penalties and FK’s that only increases his chances of a shot on target. Payet is a big-game player and if anyone will shine for the hosts then it is sure to be their main man!
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Dimitri Payet to have 1+ Shot on Target v PSG
Marseille v PSG Predicted Line-ups
Marseille v PSG Cheat Sheet
* All odds displayed correct at the time of publishing *
How to watch Marseille v PSG in Ligue 1
📅 When is Marseille v PSG? / Sunday, 24 October 2021, 19:45 BST
🏟 Where is Marseille v PSG? / Stade Vélodrome (Marseille)
📺 What TV Channel is Marseille v PSG on? / BT Sport 2
📱 Online Live Streaming for Marseille v PSG / bet365
🟨 …And who is the referee for Marseille v PSG? / Benoît Bastien 🇫🇷