Why the upcoming Le Classique could define PSG's season?

Tomorrow, Paris Saint-Germain are set to face their biggest rivals, third-placed Olympique de Marseille on Matchday 21 of Ligue 1 McDonald's at the Parc des Princes. If they were to managed a win, Paris could put Marseille 12 points behind, subsequently ending their hopes in the league. Therefore, a victory in this game could be vital for both teams in the Ligue 1 title race.

Up to this point of the season, Paris have been plagued by injuries, missing some of its key players for big parts of the first part of the season, which in return impacted the results of the club in the league but also in the Champions League with the Parisians set for a Champions League Play-offs tie against fellow Ligue 1 side AS Monaco.

This upcoming clash will be the third game between the two sides this season with each sides having one win apiece. Despite an inconstant form as of late, Roberto De Zerbi's team has proven that they were a worthy opponent for the European Champions. Les Phocéens who are sitting at the third spot in the league are the biggest opponents for PSG domestically.

How Le Classique could define PSG's season?

Many fans and observers know that a football season is long and filled with important games, injuries or signings. For PSG, the 2024-2025 treble-winning season was filled with defining moments that trasnformed Luis Enrique's team into a machine in the second part of the campaign.

One of the first founding moments from last season was clearly the impressive 4-2 home victory against Pep Guardiola's Manchester City in the Champions League which set the team to qualify for the Play-offs. The second one was the late victory in the Trophée des Champions against AS Monaco, before an incredible Round of 16 tie against Premier League side Liverpool.

While the team in its entirety played a massive role to secure these important wins, some players really stepped up and lifted the team in crucial moments such as Ousmane Dembélé, Vitinha or Désiré Doué.

Throughout the current season, no players outside of Vitinha was regular in their performances which was mostly due to numerous injuries to Achraf Hakimi, Doué, Dembélé, Nuno Mendes and Kvhicha Kvaratskhelia. These injuries have had a massive imppact on the results of the team but limited the impact of these players with the inability to gain any kind of momentum going.

However, this upcoming clash with Marseille, their historical rivals and biggest threat domestically could really set up the team for a successful second part of the season in case of a victory. Luis Enrique and his team need to win this game in great fashion.