In their Round-of-16 matchup on Wednesday night (8 February), spirited Marseille knocked heavyweight Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) out of the Coupe de France with a 2-1 victory.
The most recent Le Classique got off to a lively start for Marseille, but the Parisians got their first shot on goal at the Stade Velodrome. Neymar sent Nuno Mendes, a left-back, into space with a brilliant pass, and the Portuguese player unafraid entered the box and attempted to score. However, Pau Lopez, the Marseille goalkeeper, was on his toes and successfully parried his attempt.
Following Genghis Under’s curling effort, PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was called into action a few minutes later. To prevent his team from falling behind, the fully stretched Italian made a stop with his fingers. Ten minutes later, Ruslan Malinovskyi scored from the edge of the box after evading several Parisian challenges. Donnarumma missed the shot, but she was able to stop it.
After Sergio Ramos shoved Under inside the Parisian box, Alexis Sanchez calmly converted a penalty kick to give Marseille the lead in the 31st minute. Nine minutes later, PSG could have restored parity, but the post saved Marseille by preventing Neymar from scoring.
After being completely outplayed in the first half, the Parisians miraculously restored parity in the final minute. Ramos made up for his previous oversight with a superb glancing header after Neymar delivered a smooth corner into the box.
After PSG scored at the end of the first half, Marseille came out swinging in the second 45, rather than feeling demoralized. They pressed hard, ran past the traveling players, and made sure they never got a break. Malinovskyi scored in the 57th minute with a stunning half-volley from Sanchez’s rebound. Their efforts were rewarded.
In the game’s final 30 minutes, PSG became increasingly desperate for an equalizer, but it was simply not to be. Neymar beat a few Marseille players in the 79th minute to set Lionel Messi up in the box. The Argentine missed his finish, which missed the far post.
Messi found Ramos with an excellent cross into the Marseille box in the 93rd minute. The Spaniard sent his header straight at the goalkeeper despite not being marked.
Les Parisiens must now rebound and prepare for their upcoming matches against Monaco and then Bayern Munich, which will be characterized by an unusually subdued performance. Five of their superstars performed significantly below their best in Wednesday’s disappointing Coupe de France defeat:
#5 Sergio Ramos
PSG’s sole goal on Wednesday night came from Sergio Ramos. Leaving aside that moment of brilliance, Ramos played poorly.
Before the half-hour mark, he brought Under down inside the area to give away a penalty. Pacy Marseille players easily got around him, and he was not very good in one-on-one battles. When Messi set up Ramos for a header in the final minute, he also missed.
Ramos lost six of eight duels, was dribbled past three times, and only made one interception throughout the night.
#4 Vitinha
Vitinha started in PSG’s midfield against Marseille despite not being at his best recently. The international for Portugal was unable to match the intensity of the game and essentially watched it pass by. He never even attempted to move forward, struggled to string passes together, and did not create any scoring opportunities.
Vitinha lost possession ten times, missed 20 passes, committed a foul, and lost four of eight ground duels against Marseille. In the 63rd minute, the central midfielder deservedly left the field.
#3 Fabian Ruiz
Ruiz played poorly in the 2-1 victory over Toulouse last week, and he played poorly again against Marseille. He did not pose a threat to Marseille’s goal, occasionally gave up possession quickly, and frequently appeared clueless when in possession.
On Wednesday night, the former Napoli midfielder did not make a crucial pass or take a shot. He dribbled past once, gave up possession eight times, and lost two of four ground battles.
#2 Achraf Hakimi
Achraf Hakimi came into the game in good spirits after scoring once and setting up another in PSG’s 2-1 victory over Toulouse last weekend. Their high-flying right-back was unable to extend his current streak, which was unfortunate news for the away fans. He was unable to keep up with Marseille’s frantic pressing, frequently lost possession, or deliver menacing shots into the box.
Hakimi lost possession 17 times, committed four fouls, lost nine duels, and did not take a single shot during the Coupe de France Round of 16 competition.
#1 Lionel Messi
Messi’s performance on Wednesday against PSG’s bitter rivals was shockingly ineffective. He was virtually ineffective for the most part due to the hosts’ excellent marking and blocking of his passing lanes. In the end, Messi still had a chance to make a big impact, but his effort in the 79th minute went wide.
Against Marseille, the legend of Barcelona lost possession 28 times. He lost nine of his 13 ground duels and did not even attempt to challenge the keeper. He also missed his one attempt at a long ball. The seven-time winner of the Ballon d’Or had a night to remember.