Paris, France – Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) delivered a resounding 4-0 victory over arch-rivals Olympique de Marseille in Ligue 1 action on Sunday, with Randal Kolo Muani and Goncalo Ramos both notching their inaugural goals for the Parisian outfit.
Kolo Muani and Ramos, who registered a brace, complemented Achraf Hakimi’s early opener, propelling PSG to third place in the league standings with 11 points from six games, trailing surprise leaders Stade Brestois by just two points.
Despite the impressive performance, PSG was dealt a setback when Kylian Mbappe was forced off the pitch due to a possible ankle injury during the first half.
“It was a perfect game. We’re getting close to having what we want, players always connected, defending and attacking together,” commented PSG coach Luis Enrique during a press conference.
Meanwhile, Marseille, plagued by off-field turmoil during the week in a dispute with their fans, currently occupies the seventh position with nine points.
Marseille saw a change in leadership as coach Marcelino parted ways with the club, and tensions flared with their fans’ representatives who allegedly threatened the club’s management and sought their resignation. Despite the upheaval, club President Pablo Longoria pledged to remain in his role, asserting that he had received unwavering support from owner Frank McCourt.
With interim coach Jacques Abardonado on the sidelines, Marseille struggled to respond to PSG’s ‘Tiki Taka’ style—a highly possessive strategy that Enrique has been striving to instill in a team long searching for a cohesive playing style.
PSG made a statement within eight minutes when Hakimi unleashed a free-kick into the top corner after Mbappe had been fouled at the edge of the box. Unfortunately for PSG, Mbappe’s evening ended early when he was replaced by Marcelo Ramos in the 32nd minute due to an ankle injury.
“We tried to strap it again but it was still hurting, so we decided not to risk anything. I don’t think it’s serious; he should be back soon,” assured Enrique.
Bradley Barcola consistently troubled the Marseille defense with his silky dribbling on the left flank. Although the visitors had their moments, with Vitinha’s header narrowly missing the crossbar in the 23rd minute, PSG displayed clinical finishing.
In the 40th minute, Hakimi’s powerful strike struck the post and ricocheted off keeper Pau Lopez’s back into the path of Kolo Muani, who calmly tapped in his first goal for PSG.
Vitinha and Azzedine Ounahi were replaced at halftime by Ilian Ndiaye and Amine Harit, respectively. Nevertheless, PSG continued their dominance, with Ramos heading home from Ousmane Dembele’s cross in the 47th minute.
The match concluded with some PSG fans engaging in homophobic chants, causing mixed reactions from onlookers. Enrique, perplexed by the chants, remarked, “I’m sorry, but I don’t understand if the chants are nice or mean.”
The chants temporarily ceased when Ramos netted PSG’s fourth goal, capitalizing on a swift counter-attack orchestrated by Kolo Muani.
In an earlier fixture, last year’s Ligue 1 runners-up RC Lens secured their first win of the season, edging Toulouse 2-1 at home. The victory followed a successful week that included a 1-1 away draw against Sevilla in the Champions League, bolstering their spirits.
