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Marseille's attacking midfielder Dimitri Payet has claimed that Mauricio Pochettino’s Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) are yet to have a footballing identity.
Pochettino’s team have failed to live up to the hype this season. They were knocked out of the French Cup by Nice in February and then squandered a two-goal advantage against Real Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16.
Following their elimination from Europe's premier competition in March, Ligue 1 is the only title they are fighting for this season. Fortunately, they have a practically unassailable lead at the top of the table. The Parisians are 12 points ahead of second-place Marseille with just seven games remaining.
On Sunday night (17 April), the top two teams in the division will lock horns at the Parc des Princes. Ahead of the upcoming Le Classique, the visiting team’s star playmaker, Payet, has compared the two clubs' playing styles.
According to the Frenchman, PSG do not have a defined, organized brand of football, and only maintain possession because they have the players for it.
Speaking to RMC Sport, the former West Ham United star said:
“We have been playing the same way since the start of the season. They are starting from behind yes. But they don’t have a really defined style of play. … They have possession because they have the players for it, but they’re not organized like us.”
Strictly going by their recent performances in the French top-flight, Marseille seem to be the more in-form team. While PSG have lost two of their last five fixtures, Marseille are on a four-match winning streak.
PSG’s world-class trio could wreak havoc on Marseille’s defense
Paris Saint-Germain may not have a defined footballing identity yet, but their world-class attackers often take care of business entirely on their own. Kylian Mbappe has been PSG’s standout performer this season, emerging as Ligue 1's leading scorer (20 goals). He also has provided the most assists (15) in the division.
Although summer signing Lionel Messi has struggled to score in Ligue 1 this season, he has been exceptional at creating opportunities for his teammates. The Argentine has three goals and 13 assists to his name.
Neymar has had a hard time keeping himself fit but has hit the ground running since recovering in February. He has scored 10 league goals in the current campaign, with five of them coming in the last two games alone.
Unless Marseille find a way to isolate the individuals and do a number on them, they might have a hard time beating Les Parisiens Sunday.
