PSG has made a lightning start to its Ligue 1 title defence this season but will face one of its biggest tests of the domestic campaign on the road Sunday to take on Marseille. No one has been able to get close to the champions thus far, but Marseille, with home advantage and technical ability in creative areas, could well be a match for them on the day.
- Marseille has won its last three home matches.
- PSG has a 100 per cent record in Ligue 1 so far this season.
- PSG has scored 24 goals in its last six league outings.
Marseille must win if it is to catch PSG
With PSG building up what would look to be an unassailable lead, it is up to the chasers in the pack to try to cut the difference as quickly as possible. Next up is Marseille, which currently sits fourth in the standings with 19 points, having lost three of its Sportsbook 10 games in a disappointing start to the campaign.
At this crucial juncture, there can simply be no more slip-ups, however. The corresponding fixture last season ended in a 2-2 draw, but even that would not be good enough for the home side on this occasion. Already 11 points behind PSG, Marseille needs a victory to cut that lead back into single figures as the winter months approach.
Nevertheless, it is the defending champions who come into this match as the overwhelming favorites to maintain their 100 per cent start to the season. You can back PSG to pick up yet another win at just -223 while Marseille, despite home advantage, is out at +550 to stop the champions. A draw is priced in the middle at +350.
PSG simply looks too strong
While it cannot be denied that Marseille is certainly one of the stronger sides in Ligue 1 – on paper at least – an inconsistent start to the campaign has cost them and we expect it to once again here. PSG looks too technically gifted for any of their domestic rivals, as proven when they thrashed Lyon 5-0 a few weeks back, and we are expecting another dominant display from the champions on Sunday.
And while we are expecting a closer scoreline than in the Lyon game, this should still be fairly comfortable for PSG. It is no easy feat trying to predict exact outcomes of football matches, but a 3-1 win for the visitors and champions is priced competitively at +900.
That in turn would allow you to back OVER 2.5 goals in the game, which is priced short at just -250, and both teams to score, which is also at low odds of -200. It is in instances such as these where combo betting helps increase profits, and a combo bet of a PSG win and both teams to score is at the higher price of +150.
Mbappe in fine form
French teenage star Kylian Mbappe, in arguably the form of his life, will be hungry for more goals. The youngster bagged four in less than 15 minutes against Lyon before adding another in the 5-0 win over Amiens last time out, and we are expecting his name to be on the scoresheet once again this weekend.
You can back the striker to find the back of the net at just -110, while he is at +400 to score either the first or last goal of the game – the same price he is at to score two goals or more. For Marseille, meanwhile, its biggest goal threat would look to come from attacking midfielder Florian Thauvin, who is at +160 to score in this game.
For Marseille, which prior to the season had expected to mount a sustained title challenge, this is make-or-break time before October is out. Anything other than three points here and they would appear to be out of the title race – the big problem would be that PSG, on the domestic front at least, has too much strength in depth.
