PSG Edge Paris FC in Historic Capital Derby as Marseille Suffers Heavy Loss

Paris Saint-Germain maintained pressure on Ligue 1 leaders Lens after a 2-1 win over Paris FC on Sunday in the first Paris derby in the men’s league since 1990. PSG remains just one point behind Lens, with star forwards Desire Doue and Ousmane Dembele securing the victory at Parc des Princes.

The derby, played less than 50 meters from Paris FC’s Stade Jean Bouin, saw PSG create several scoring opportunities through intricate passing before Doué opened the scoring just before halftime. He latched onto a pass and lifted the ball over goalkeeper Kevin Trapp from near the penalty spot.

Paris FC responded quickly after the break when Willem Geubbels converted a penalty in the 51st minute following a foul by PSG defender Illia Zabarnyi. However, PSG regained the lead two minutes later as Dembele cut in from the right and fired a deflected shot past Trapp, a former PSG goalkeeper.

Elsewhere, Marseille struggled in a 2-0 home defeat to Nantes, leaving the club eight points behind Lens in third place. The team saw two players sent off, frustrating coach Roberto De Zerbi, who has sought to improve focus and mentality since taking charge last season.

“We need to look at ourselves. If we play this kind of match, if we don’t show more desire to win, we get what we deserve, which is no better than third place,” De Zerbi said. “We started the match badly, even with 11 against 11, lacking energy, lacking what it takes to play.”

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang started for Marseille despite recently returning from the Africa Cup of Nations. The team also paid tribute to former coach Jean-Louis Gasset with a minute’s silence before kickoff.

Nantes opened the scoring in the first half after an early goal was ruled out for offside. Marseille midfielder Arthur Vermeeren was sent off in the 26th minute for a late tackle on Nantes goalkeeper Anthony Lopes. Five minutes later, Fabien Centonze converted a rebound to give Nantes the lead. Marseille’s troubles continued when Bilal Nadir received a second yellow card in the 56th minute, and Rémy Cabella sealed the victory with a late penalty.

Other Ligue 1 action saw Le Havre climb out of the relegation zone with a 2-1 win over Angers. Kenny Quetant and Noam Obougou scored for the visitors, while Louis Mouton had briefly equalized.

Metz drew 1-1 at Lorient, with Sadibou Sane scoring for Metz and Bamba Dieng replying for Lorient. Brest defeated Auxerre 2-0 thanks to a backheeled strike from Ludovic Ajorque and another goal. Lens had opened the weekend with a 3-0 win over Toulouse on Friday.

The weekend results keep the title race tightly contested at the top while highlighting the struggles of Marseille, who must regroup quickly to stay in contention. PSG’s victory over local rivals signals their determination to challenge Lens for the Ligue 1 crown.