Panoramic
| PROBABLE LINEUPS |
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN  Sirigu Jallet, Bisevac, Sakho, Maxwell Sissoko, Matuidi Gameiro, Pastore, NeneHoarau | OLYMPIQUE DE MARSEILLE  Mandanda Azpilicueta, Fanni, N'Koulou, Morel Diarra, Mbia Amalfitano, Valbuena, Ayew Remy |
Clement Chantome is out with a hip injury, with Diego Lugano, Alex and Thiago Motta all rated as doubtful for Sunday's match for various reasons. In their absence will be Milan Bisevac, who deputised for Alex in last weekend's 2-1 defeat to Nancy, as well as Blaise Matuidi, who continues his run in the first team.
Jeremy Menez is also rated 50-50 to participate in the crunch clash, with Ancelotti forced to either revert to a 4-3-1-2 with Christophe Jallet moving to the right-hand side of midfield and Ceara slotting in at right-back. Moreover, Kevin Gameiro could fill in Menez's role, supporting Guillaume Hoarau up front.
Nene's public outburst in being dropped last weekend amid discontent in the dressing room has seen him offer an apology, and he should feature, with Mamadou Sakho and Maxwell returning to the side as PSG seek a first league win in four games.
Olympique de Marseille, meanwhile, have problems of their own. Confidence is down at the Provence club after a record 10 games without a win, with reports surfacing of a rift concerning certain players' workrate, which has seen the 2010 champions plummet to ninth place.
Souleymane Diawara is out for the season following knee surgery, with Rod Fanni set to move into central defence as cover. Alou Diarra was suspended for Wednesday's 2-0 Champions League quarter-final defeat to Bayern Munich and returns to the starting XI. Loic Remy was taken off shortly after half-time at the Allianz Arena, but is thought to have overcome his hamstring problem.
Sunday's Clasico will have a bearing on where the Ligue 1 title ends up in May, with L'OM hosting leaders Montpellier in another crunch game on Wednesday.
| DID YOU KNOW? |
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Paris Saint-Germain sit 2nd in Ligue 1 after collecting 60 points from 30 games.
- Les Parisiens had ironically been held to a 1-1 draw with Bordeaux and lost to Nancy in the matches preceding the first Clasico. The same results have occurred this time.
- Carlo Ancelotti has won only 45% of his Ligue 1 games since taking over, a stark contrast to Antoine Koumbouare's 63% before being sacked.
- PSG have not kept a clean sheet against Marseille in the league since 2006.
- Olympique de Marseille's woeful run of form continues, although they arrested their losing sequence with a 1-1 draw against Nice two weeks ago.
- Didier Deschamps' men sit ninth in Ligue 1 with 40 points, having also suffered Champions League elimination in midweek.
- Marseille thrashed their arch-rivals 3-0 in the reverse fixture at Stade Velodrome earlier this season.
- OM have only lost one of their last six fixtures against the capital club.
- Loic Remy has four goals in his last seven games against PSG, he also scored in the 3-0 win in week 15.
Arguably the two biggest clubs in France, both PSG and Marseille are facing times of crisis with rifts and poor performance derailing the sides' season objectives. Marseille are obviously on the worser form, and with a big week ahead of them, something has got to give. History tells us that when a wounded OM side head into the Clasico, they turn out winners. Sunday may just continue that trend.
Editor's Prediction
PSG 1-2 Marseille 
