Marseille looks for a fourth straight win and Ligue 1 leader PSG visits Lille | iNFOnews.ca
Marseille's head coach Roberto De Zerbi, centre, Marseille's Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, left, Marseille's Matt O'Riley celebrate their victory after the French League One soccer match between Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain at Orange Velodrome in Marseille, France, Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Philippe Magoni)

Marseille looks for a fourth straight win and Ligue 1 leader PSG visits Lille

PARIS (AP) — Resurgent Marseille aims for a fourth straight Ligue 1 win when it travels to rock-bottom Metz on Saturday while high-flying Lyon also looks to maintain an impressive start.

Marseille’s win against defending champion Paris Saint-Germain last week seems to have galvanized coach Roberto De Zerbi’s side, which is playing the free-flowing soccer the club’s demanding fans want. He described Marseille’s scintillating first-half performance in Tuesday’s 4-0 win against Ajax in the Champions League as “close to perfection.”

After winning at Barcelona 2-1 on Wednesday, PSG faces a tough trip to Lille on Sunday.

Key Matchups

Injury-hit PSG travels to play a Lille side which has a point to prove.

Lille’s bright start to the season has nosedived after two straight defeats. Furthermore, Lille failed to score in both games and wasted a flurry of chances in last Sunday’s 1-0 home defeat to Lyon.

Lyon’s future looked bleak when it was demoted to Ligue 2 for financial irregularities, only to have the decision overturned on appeal. Still, Lyon had to sell forward Georges Mikautadze to balance the books, and few observers made Lyon a contender.

However, Lyon is level with PSG at the top heading into Sunday’s home game against Toulouse and looks for a sixth win in seven games. Lyon has allowed only three goals, one less than PSG.

Monaco faces Nice in the Riviera derby on Sunday with both sides proving inconsistent. Fourth-placed Monaco has scored 14 times but leaked 10 while 12th-placed Nice has netted just seven times and lost three games.

Players to watch

Marseille winger Igor Paixão scored two well-taken goals against Ajax, his first goals since joining from Feyenoord in a deal that could rise to 35 million euros ($40.6 million). Paixão scored 18 goals in 47 games last season and was voted the Dutch player of the season.

Tanner Tessmann is becoming a key player in Lyon’s midfield. The United States international has netted twice and provides valuable cover for a defense which has kept five clean sheets.

Veteran Olivier Giroud has made a bright start at Lille with three goals. But the 39-year-old striker looked weary against Lyon and Lille needs him at his best against PSG.

Out of action

PSG remains without injured club captain Marquinhos and star forwards Ousmane Dembélé and Désiré Doué.

PSG coach Luis Enrique is awaiting further news over midfielder João Neves. Although he was selected against Barcelona after missing two games with a thigh injury, Neves was replaced moments before the start.

Meanwhile, Lille coach Bruno Genesio is suspended for one game following his red card against Lyon. He kicked at a bunch of water bottles and yelled that the match officials were “all rubbish.”

Off the field

Strasbourg striker Emanuel Emegha’s residence was reportedly burgled last Friday while he was playing against Marseille, and 200,000 euros ($235,000) worth of goods were stolen.

The theft took place in the same apartment complex where former Strasbourg striker Kevin Gameiro was also burgled last year. According to Le Parisien newspaper, two people have been arrested in connection with the two thefts.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Marseille looks for a fourth straight win and Ligue 1 leader PSG visits Lille | iNFOnews.ca
PSG’s Warren Zaire-Emery, left, challenges for the ball with Marseille’s Igor Paixao during the French League One soccer match between Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain at Orange Velodrome in Marseille, France, Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Philippe Magoni)
Marseille looks for a fourth straight win and Ligue 1 leader PSG visits Lille | iNFOnews.ca
PSG’s head coach Luis Enrique, center, kicks the ball during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
Marseille looks for a fourth straight win and Ligue 1 leader PSG visits Lille | iNFOnews.ca
Lyon’s Tanner Tessmann, centre, in action during the French League One soccer match between Olympique Lyon and Angers at Groupama stadium in Decines, outside Lyon, France, Friday, Sept. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)

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