Marseille's Tactical Adjustments for Classique Against PSG
Bruno Genesio does not have the luxury of sweeping changes. The squad is thin, the calendar unforgiving, and Olympique de Marseille are walking into a Classique with Paris Saint-Germain on the back of four straight defeats in all competitions.
He has to find a reaction, not a revolution.
Tight margins, big decisions
Geoffrey Kondogbia and Tochukwu Nnadi are still unavailable, stripping Marseille of options in the heart of midfield. That reality has defined Genesio’s choices in recent weeks and will again on Sunday night.
His Ligue 1 side has been relatively settled, more through necessity than design. The shape is clear, the spine is known. So any tweak stands out.
This time, one name is under particular scrutiny: Angel Gomes.
The England international has struggled to rediscover his rhythm since returning from his loan at Wolverhampton Wanderers in the summer. The touch is there, the intent is there, but the impact has been missing. With Marseille desperate for incision and control between the lines, Genesio is weighing a change.
The plan is simple, at least on paper. Gomes could drop out, freeing Amine Harit to move into a central role where his creativity and ability to carry the ball might give OM a different dimension. That shift would then open a space on the right of the attack.
Keylian Abdallah is the man poised to step into it.
Abdallah’s inclusion would add direct running and a more vertical threat on that flank, something Marseille have lacked during this losing streak. It is a small adjustment, but in a game of this magnitude, small adjustments can tilt the balance.
The likely XI for the Classique
Within those constraints, Genesio is expected to stick with the core that has carried his Ligue 1 campaign so far. Barring late surprises, Marseille are likely to line up against PSG as follows:
Jeffrey De Lange; Emerson, Nayef Aguerd, CJ Egan-Riley, Timothy Weah; Himad Abdelli, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg; Igor Paixao, Amine Harit, Keylian Abdallah, Amine Gouiri. (L'Éq)
It is not a line-up overflowing with alternatives. It is one built on trust, repetition and the hope that a slight reshuffle — Harit central, Abdallah wide, Gomes sacrificed — can jolt a faltering side back to life on the biggest domestic stage they have.
