Igor Tudor’s side takes on Lionel Messi and his PSG teammates as the title race in the traditional cup moves into another dramatic chapter.
Olympique Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain meet at the Orange Vélodrome in the round of 16 of the French Cup. La Canebière’s club is recognized as the second most successful in the competition with 10 titles and nine runners-up, trailing only PSG, who have 14 trophies. After a long drought since the 1988-89 season, Marseille will aim to seize the opportunity and push deeper into the tournament. In the latest edition, the squad led by Alexis Sánchez advanced to the quarterfinals after a 4-1 win away to Nice, while PSG reached this stage following a 0-7 demolition of Pays de Cassel, a sixth-tier side, with five goals from Kylian Mbappé and another five from Neymar and Carlos Soler.
The Alexis Sánchez-led lineup and the supporting cast form a crucial part of Marseille’s plans, particularly when it comes to converting chances and exploiting counter-attacks against a PSG side known for its firepower in attack.
In the graphic breakdown that follows, readers can see the team compositions, substitutions, and the key moments of the match as it unfolded.
30′ Goal by Olympique de Marseille! Alexis Sánchez calmly converts the spot-kick to open the scoring at the Vélodrome, deceiving Donnarumma from the spot after Sergio Ramos committed the foul on Ünder.
28′ Marseille earns a penalty! Ünder outpaces Ramos and is brought down at the edge of the box. The spot-kick is awarded decisively by the referee.
26′ Marseille pressure continues! Donnarumma parries a shot from Guendouzi, with Ramos reacting sharply to block the follow-up corner.
25′ A quick exchange between Sánchez and Ünder nearly yields another chance as Donnarumma ventures from his area to clear the threat, signaling Marseille’s intent from the start.
21′ Kolasinac tests the Marseille defense with a powerful effort that Sterling’s rebound narrowly misses the left post after a strong clearance by Veretout.
16′ Donnarumma makes a crucial save as Malinovskyi tries a curling effort on the right; the PSG keeper collects the ball in two attempts and denies the Ukrainian.
6′ PSG’s defense holds firm as Ünder lines up a shot from outside the area, but Donnarumma covers the far corner to avert danger.
4′ López blocks admirably as Nuno Mendes delivers a dangerous cross for Neymar, and the Marseille keeper keeps the score level with a stellar reflex save.
The ball is rolling at the Orange Vélodrome, with referee Francois Letexier in charge as both teams push to reach the quarterfinals.
The players take their places, and the starting XI numbers reflect the positions on the pitch. Messi cannot wear his iconic 30, a nod to his Barcelona and Argentina past, while Sánchez dons the number 10 in this lineup, underscoring the clash of generations and styles.
Confirmed formations
Olympique Marseille: Pau López; Chancel Mbemba, Samuel Gigot, Sead Kolasinac; Cengiz Ünder, Valentin Rongier, Jordan Veretout, Jonathan Clauss; Ruslan Malinovskyi, Matteo Guendouzi; Alexis Sánchez.
PSG: Gianluigi Donnarumma; Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Sergio Ramos, Nuno Mendes; Fabian Ruiz, Danilo Pereira, Marco Verratti; Vitinha; Lionel Messi and Neymar.
PSG has not lost to Marseille in 11 meetings in all competitions since a 1-0 Ligue 1 defeat in September 2020. The most recent clash occurred on October 16, 2022, when Neymar scored the decisive goal at Parc des Princes as PSG won 1-0. Sánchez started but was substituted in the 79th minute for Bamba Dieng.
Both teams arrive at the Vélodrome in strong spirits, and GOAL provides a detailed account of the match for fans across North America eager to follow the Cup’s round of 16 spectacle.
Good evening everyone. GOAL offers a complete preview of the Olympique de Marseille against PSG in the French Cup round of 16, built to inform fans in Canada and the United States who follow European club football closely.
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