Marseille 0-0 PSG: 5 hits and flops as 10-man PSG hold on to a share of the spoils | Ligue 1 2021-22

PSG were held to a goalless stalemate in Le Classique by Marseille in a Ligue 1 clash. In a tense game, both sides came close on a few occasions, but a breakthrough never came by.

Achraf Hakimi was sent off for the visitors in the second half for catching Cengiz Under when he was clear on goal, reducing PSG to ten men. But Les Olympiens were left frustrated by their inability to take advantage of their numerical superiority. Meanwhile, Marseille's rising star William Saliba produced an excellent last-ditch tackle on Kylian Mbappe to prevent late drama.

It ended all square at the Stade Velodrome, a first in this fixture since November 1998, but wasn't short of entertainment. On that note, here are the five hit and flop performers from the 101st instalment of Le Classique:

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Hit: Dimitri Payet (Marseille)

Payet was the creative inspiration for Marseille.

Dimitri Payet has been the driving force behind Marseille's bright start to their 2021-22 league campaign. On Sunday, he delivered another attacking masterclass against PSG.

He epitomised everything good coming from the side. Payet created a lot of chances with his expansive passing range and exquisite set-piece deliveries, and also nearly winning a penalty.

Danilo Pereira brought Payet down inside the area in the second half while trying to stop him, but the referee waved play on. However, it did little to deter the star.

The former West Ham ace also garnered attention for his insane on-the-ball skills, giving Lionel Messi a taste of the same too. Payet pinched the ball off the Argentine in one instance before producing a mesmerising turn.

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Flop: Achraf Hakimi (PSG)

Hakimi was sent off for the first time in his career.

So often the creative inspiration for his side, Achraf Hakimi had a nightmare at the Stade Velodrome. The PSG right-back struggled to muster his usual attacking spark before getting sent off in the second half.

The Moroccan got forward as usual, but lacked in ingenuity and directness. He failed to conjure anything meaningful from his advances. But worse was yet to come for him.

In a desperate attempt to stop the marauding Cengiz Under, who was clean through on goal, Hakimi, the last man, pushed him down. That left the referee with no choice but to brandish a red, marking the first time in his young career that Hakimi got sent off.

While that didn't prove catastrophic for PSG, Marseille rued failing to capitalise on the numerical superiority as they were forced to a share of the spoils.

Hit: Marquinhos (PSG)

Marquinhos showed his value to PSG in another big game.

On a night when individual sparks were few and far between, PSG captain Marquinhos impressed again. He delivered a captain's performance, and came up big after the visitors were reduced to ten men late on.

Disciplined, solid and positionally aware, the Brazilian made sure he didn't leave any gaps and read the game brilliantly. Marquinhos made an admirable six clearances on the night.

His real quality came to light when PSG were down to ten men. Marquinhos ensured Marseille still didn't have an inch to work into, guarding PSG's backline vigilantly and keeping everything tidy at the back. He was the epitome of reliability on the night.

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Flop: Neymar (PSG)

It was a tough night for Neymar.

It's not often you see 'Neymar' and the word 'flop' going together. But on Sunday, the Brazilian was below his best, failing to influence the game in any meaningful way.

He initially thought he'd helped put PSG in front by forcing an own goal from Luan Peres, who converted the Brazilian's cross into his own net. But following a VAR review, it was ruled out, as Neymar was offside in the build-up.

That was just about as close Neymar would come to scoring or assisting again on the night. Marseille had no issues while trying to keep possession against him, losing only two of ten ground duels. In short, it was not the best of nights for the PSG talisman.

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Hit: William Saliba (Marseille)

Saliba was a rock in defence for Marseille, keeping PSG at bay.

If you haven't watched William Saliba play yet, make sure you put that right soon. The youngster is fast becoming a world-class prospect and, with a fine display against PSG, demonstrated his seamless potential once again.

The 20-year-old defender was a livewire throughout, knitting passes together and hounding PSG players for the ball like a Terrier. His fearlessness and direct style of play was too hot for the visitors to handle at times.

With a 96% passing accuracy, Saliba also flaunted his distribution skills. But he certainly stood out for his last-ditch tackle on Mbappe in the game's dying moments, which helped Marseille keep their citadel intact on the night.