Paris Saint-Germain celebrated a clean sweep at the Ballon d'Or ceremony in Paris on Monday night, with the club named best team, Ousmane Dembélé winning the men's award, and Luis Enrique taking the best coach prize. Yet on the pitch, the defending champions suffered a 1-0 defeat at Marseille's Stade Vélodrome, their first league loss there in 14 years.
The match had been postponed 24 hours earlier due to a severe storm that flooded the city and surrounding region. Despite PSG's request to reschedule to avoid a clash with the Ballon d'Or gala, league rules forced the game to be played within a day. PSG president Nasser al-Khelaifi described the situation as 'very bizarre,' while Marseille president Pablo Longoria insisted the rule be applied to avoid controversy.
PSG were without injured quartet Dembélé, João Neves, Désiré Doué and Bradley Barcola, who have combined for eight of the club's ten league goals this season. Luis Enrique switched to a back five, but the unfamiliar system left strikers Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Gonçalo Ramos isolated. By the 55th minute, PSG had only touched the ball twice inside the opposition box.
Marseille's high pressing paid off in the fifth minute when Nayef Aguerd headed home from a corner after a goalkeeping error by Lucas Chevalier. Ironically, the man Chevalier replaced, Gianluigi Donnarumma, was in Paris accepting the Yashin Trophy as the world's best goalkeeper. PSG's best chance came from Achraf Hakimi, but Marseille keeper Gerónimo Rulli saved well.
The win marked the first time Marseille had beaten PSG in a league game at the Vélodrome since November 2011. Coach Roberto De Zerbi said: 'One of the reasons I came to Marseille was to beat PSG because they are stronger. They represent power, and I don't like that.' However, he warned his players against complacency, threatening that if they 'arrive in flip-flops against Strasbourg, then we aren’t a big team.'
Marseille now sit second in Ligue 1, while PSG's unbeaten run ends. The victory may lift a psychological burden, but De Zerbi knows consistency will be crucial if his side are to challenge PSG's dominance over the full season.
