Out-muscled from the outset by a determined Marseille, PSG rarely troubled their hosts who netted the only goal of the game from a set piece.

Antoine Kombouaré’s starting XI looked good on paper. Papus Camara was making his return to action in the centre of the defence; Jérémy Clément and Clément Chantôme were the defensive midfielders; the trio of Peguy Luyindula-Stéphane Sessegnon-Christophe Jallet operating behind lone striker Mevlut Erding. Yet Les Rouge et Bleu were quickly on the back foot. From two crosses from the right, Brandao’s header flashed past the post (2’) while Niang’s header flew straight at Grégory Coupet (3’).


Les Parisiens struggled to break out of their own half and conceded free-kick after free-kick, such as the one wide on the left in the 24th minute. Diawara, all alone at the back post deflected the ball down to the head of Heinze and the rebound lobbed over Coupet (1-0, 25’). Antoine Kombouaré rallied his players and they went close to levelling things with a free-kick of their own. Erding controlled Jallet’s set piece before shooting on the turn, despite the attentions of three OM defenders. Mandanda managed to produce a full-length fingertip save to preserve his side’s lead (38’).


Grégory Coupet was the next to shine, turning Niang’s 20-metre effort onto his own post (41’). Behind at the break, PSG fought back in the second half, but neither Erding’s shot over the top (69’), or Jean-Eudes Maurice’s effort (82’) could level the scoreboard. Paris conceded its second consecutive defeat and must now bounce back at home and the visit of Auxerre next weekend at the Parc des Princes.