Marseille face up to gulf separating them from PSG in France

Marseille have struggled to compete with PSG in Ligue 1 in recent years (Christophe SIMON)

Marseille travel to Paris Saint-Germain this weekend for French football's biggest fixture, which threatens to remind them of the enormous gulf now separating the two great rivals.

PSG have lorded over all of France for more than a decade, transformed since the Qatari takeover of the capital club in 2011.

But the gap between them and the rest has become particularly pronounced in recent months as Luis Enrique's PSG prove irresistible at home and impress in Europe too.

This week's Champions League last 16 victory over Liverpool may only have been achieved on penalties, but PSG showed remarkable mental strength to win the kind of tie they would surely have lost in previous seasons.

They are now preparing for a quarter-final tie next month against Aston Villa, as they cruise towards another Ligue 1 title.

The Parisians are unbeaten domestically since last May and hold an enormous 16-point lead over second-placed Marseille at the top of the table.

Win this weekend and PSG will extend that lead to 19 points, opening up the possibility that they could be crowned champions before March is out.

Marseille, who lost 3-0 at home to PSG in October, may never seriously have entertained the possibility of winning the title this season, as they focus on finishing as the best of the rest and returning to the Champions League.

Winners of the Champions League in 1993, Marseille are not in Europe at all in this campaign.

They have been excellent for much of the season under Roberto De Zerbi, helped by the goals of Mason Greenwood and the influence in midfield of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Adrien Rabiot.

If anyone can compete with PSG over the long term, it should be them -- Marseille's revenue last season was 287 million euros, according to analysts Deloitte, the highest in France behind PSG's enormous 806 million euros.

But as a club they have too often been wrought with instability, and De Zerbi's task has not been helped in recent weeks by the focus on comments made by club president Pablo Longoria.

He hit out at the referee after a defeat against Auxerre, wielding accusations of "corruption", and was handed a 15-match ban.

Marseille have lost two of their last three games, raising the threat that they could yet be caught by teams below them and possibly miss out on Champions League qualification.

That would be disastrous, but the chances of them beating PSG away on Sunday appear slim, especially with Hojbjerg injured.

PSG have lost just once to Marseille in 25 meetings in Ligue 1 since 2011.

"We need to stick together and maintain confidence in ourselves to prepare for Paris and the other matches we have to come," De Zerbi said last weekend.

"We are going to have to roll up our sleeves and fight until the end to fulfil our objective."

Player to watch: Desire Doue

PSG's breakthrough star Doue, who does not turn 20 until June, has enjoyed quite a week.

The teenager was outstanding off the bench in the second leg of PSG's Champions League last-16 tie against Liverpool on Tuesday before scoring the winning kick in the penalty shoot-out.

On Thursday he was handed a first call-up to the France squad for the upcoming Nations League quarter-final against Croatia.

Signed from Rennes in August for a reported 50 million euros ($54.1m), Doue has scored or set up 17 goals in 23 appearances since becoming a regular in PSG's side in mid-December.

Key stats

0 - Saint-Etienne have not won an away game all season before going to Montpellier for a meeting of the bottom two sides in the division

1 - Marseille have won just one of their last 25 meetings with PSG in Ligue 1

24- The number of goals scored by Ousmane Dembele in 19 appearances for PSG since mid-December

Fixtures (times GMT)

Friday

Nice v Auxerre (1945)

Saturday

Nantes v Lille (1600), Angers v Monaco (1800), Lens v Rennes (2005)

Sunday

Lyon v Le Havre (1400), Strasbourg v Toulouse, Brest v Reims, Montpellier v Saint-Etienne (all 1615), Paris Saint-Germain v Marseille (1945)

as/iwd

Topics

France vs Scotland prediction: Final French flourish from champions-elect

Follow our Six Nations betting tips as France bid to wrap up the title with a win over Scotland in Paris
Yahoo Sports - 6h
Why 'world class' Asensio can face employers PSG for Villa

Marco Asensio's Paris St-Germain career has been forgettable - but he now has the chance in the Champions League to make them remember his name.
BBC News - 1d
The Gulf state purging tens of thousands of its citizens

Kuwait has stripped nationality from 42,000 people after suspending the region’s only parliament last year
Financial Times - 5d
Champions League: Ranking the teams who should be most worried as PSG, Atletico Madrid face uphill battles

PSG travel to Liverpool down 1-0, while Atleti return home with a 2-1 loss to rivals Real Madrid
CBS Sports - 4d
Slot: PSG 'most complete' team Liverpool faced

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has said his team will need to deliver their best performance of the season against Paris Saint-Germain if they are to book their place in the quarterfinals of the ...
ESPN - 3d
How PSG's midfield and the new Champions League format ousted Liverpool

Liverpool's tense exit from the Champions League was a game to forget for Darwin Núñez. Meanwhile, PSG's Ousmane Dembélé and Gianluigi Donnarumma silenced their critics en route to the quarterfinals.
ESPN - 1d
It is time for France to prove they no longer have a ‘French mentality’

In the 1980s, as Les Bleus claimed two Grand Slams and another four championship titles (two of which were tied), you very much knew which France would turn up.
Yahoo Sports - 4h
France begins handing over military bases to Senegal

France has handed control of two military facilities to Senegal, beginning the formal process of withdrawing its military presence from the West African country amid its waning influence in the region
ABC News - 6d
Mbappé in France squad after 6-month absence

Kylian Mbappé on Thursday was included in Didier Deschamps' squad for France's Nations League quarterfinals March 20 and 23, after more than a six-month absence from the team.
ESPN - 17h

Marseille face up to gulf separating them from PSG in France

Topics

Related

France vs Scotland prediction: Final French flourish from champions-elect

Why 'world class' Asensio can face employers PSG for Villa

The Gulf state purging tens of thousands of its citizens

Champions League: Ranking the teams who should be most worried as PSG, Atletico Madrid face uphill battles

Slot: PSG 'most complete' team Liverpool faced

How PSG's midfield and the new Champions League format ousted Liverpool

It is time for France to prove they no longer have a ‘French mentality’

France begins handing over military bases to Senegal

Mbappé in France squad after 6-month absence

More from Yahoo Sports

Bucs lose swing tackle Justin Skule to Vikings

Bucs lose swing tackle Justin Skule to Vikings

Revealed: Arsenal & Liverpool want €50m winger, he’s open to transfer this summer

Duke coach says Cooper Flagg playing in ACC tourney is 'not worth it'

New York Giants' Paulson Adebo embracing opportunity to be CB1

More in Sports

Sources: George, doctors mulling star's injuries

Star Texas golfer apologizes after heckling Rory

Texas' potential bid adds to 'historic' SEC season

Lawrence Super Bowl jab sparks spat with Parsons

Darnold to apply lessons from disastrous '24 finish