Ligue 1 front-runners Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) breezed past Le Classique rivals Marseille, claiming a 3-1 win in their Matchday 26 meeting at the Parc des Princes on Sunday, 16 March.
The victory allowed Luis Enrique’s men to go 19 points clear of second-placed Marseille at the top of the French top-flight rankings, taking him within touching distance of the title.
PSG 3-1 Marseille: Match Summary
Having claimed a thrilling shootout win over Liverpool in the Champions League Round of 16, PSG came into Sunday’s Classique in high spirits. They did not take much time to get control of the proceedings, dominating early passages of play and putting their noses in front in the 17th minute.
Dembele, who has outscored all other players across the top five European leagues in 2025, added another goal to his ever-growing tally. Latching on to Fabian Ruiz’s perfectly measured through ball, he penetrated the box, held his nerve in front of the goalkeeper, shuffled the ball onto his right foot, and sent it into the back of the empty net.
Three minutes before half-time, Ruiz added another assist to his name, finding Nuno Mendes with a slide-rule pass across the face of the goal.
Six minutes into the second 45, Marseille pulled one back. Goalscorer Mendes attempted a horrendous back pass to Gianluigi Donnarumma, which former PSG man Adrien Rabiot smartly intercepted. After charging down the right-inside channel, Rabiot cut it back for Amine Gouri, who found the unguarded goal from the centre of the box.
+19 ‼️#PSGOM I #LeClassique pic.twitter.com/9V3qDhxxq3
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside) March 16, 2025
Luckily for the Parisians, Marseille could not make the most of their lifeline, with substitute Pol Lirola scoring an own goal to restore PSG’s two-goal advantage. In the 76th minute, captain Achraf Hakimi sent in an inviting low cross towards Dembele inside the area. Lirola tried to clear but failed to make the right connection, leading to an own goal. The hosts did well to avoid late mishaps and secured a solid 3-1 win.
Continue reading to check out the PSG player ratings vs Marseille in full.
PSG Player Ratings vs Marseille
Gianluigi Donnarumma (6.5/10):
The hero of PSG’s win over Liverpool in the Champions League Round of 16, Gianluigi Donnarumma could not do anything to preserve the clean sheet. He, however, made six recoveries, played three accurate long balls, and completed 18 passes.
Achraf Hakimi (7/10):
The man behind PSG’s insurance goal, Achraf Hakimi, played a solid game. He sent six passes into the final third, delivered two accurate long balls, won all three of his tackles, and came out on top in five duels.
Lucas Beraldo (6.5/10):
It was a solid shift from the 21-year-old centre-back. He played 87 accurate passes, created a chance, made four clearances, and won all four of his aerial duels.
Willian Pacho (6/10):
The 23-year-old Ecuadorian centre-back was decent on the ball but lost three of four ground duels. He also committed a couple of fouls against Marseille.
Nuno Mendes (6.5/10):
The night started wonderfully for Nuno Mendes, as he scored his first La Liga goal of the season just before half-time. However, a costly defensive error, which led to Marseille’s only goal, marred the Portuguese’s night.
Vitinha (7.5/10):
The engine of Luis Enrique’s midfield, Vitinha had a near-spotless game. He completed 92 passes with 93% accuracy, played eight passes into the final third, delivered eight accurate long balls, and made a whopping 11 recoveries. He also won three ground duels and made three interceptions.
Warren Zaire-Emery (7/10):
One of the most promising young midfielders in the world, 19-year-old Warren Zaire-Emery was at the top of his game against Marseille. He took two shots, pulled off two dribbles, won three tackles, made five recoveries, and came out on top in nine duels.
Fabian Ruiz (9/10):
Spanish central midfielder Fabian Ruiz was at the heart of everything positive PSG created against Marseille. Not only were his assists to Ousmane Dembele and Nuno Mendes exquisite, he also helped out at the back, making five recoveries and winning two duels.
Desire Doue (6.5/10):
The 19-year-old lacked confidence in the final third, but his creativity shone through. He created three chances on Sunday — more than any other player.
Ousmane Dembele (8.5/10):
The man of the moment, Ousmane Dembele scored his 30th goal of the season in the clash with Marseille, with a whopping 22 of them coming in 2025. The former Barcelona man also created one big chance, pulled off two dribbles, and won three ground duels.
🔴🔵🧞♂️ Ousmane Dembélé has now scored 30 goals this season in all competitions for PSG.
Fantastic work under Luis Enrique. pic.twitter.com/M3nJRpCWMF
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 16, 2025
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (6.5/10):
Former Napoli ace Khvicha Kvaratskhelia pulled off a superb flick en route to PSG’s opener, but he could not build on it. The Georgian played only two passes into the final third, lost possession four times, and had just one shot.
Substitutes
Bradley Barcola (6/10):
The French left-winger came on in the 62nd minute. He played six passes and took one shot, but did not look like making an impact.
Joao Neves (6/10):
Talented Portuguese midfielder Joao Neves completed all 15 of his attempted passes. He also won two ground duels and drew two fouls.
Lucas Hernandez (N/A):
Did not get enough time to make an impact after coming on in the 80th minute.
Kang-in Lee (N/A):
Came in for Ousmane Dembele 10 minutes before full-time. His only attempted shot landed on target.
