PSG Defeats Marseille 2-0 to Move Up in Arkema Première Ligue

Florianne Jourde scored in the 76th minute on Saturday to break a scoreless deadlock as Paris Saint-Germain defeated Olympique de Marseille 2-0 at Martigues in the ninth round of the Arkema Première Ligue.

The hard-fought victory lifted Paris Saint-Germain into second place in the league table, while Marseille slipped to fifth place after conceding late in the fixture, Le Figaro reported.

“It was a good opposition because Marseille plays well. We were better in the second half and we managed to score two goals. I am very happy and very proud to take three points here,” Paulo César told Canal+.

Marseille frustrated the visitors for more than three-quarters of the match before Jourde broke through with the opening goal. Alexis Missimo, an American midfielder for Marseille, added an own goal in the 88th minute to seal the result.

The opening 45 minutes ended level at 0-0 following a tactical battle. Paris Saint-Germain started the brighter of the two sides, but Nicolas Chabot’s Marseille team gained control toward the end of the half and created the best scoring chance through Beatriz Fonseca in the 25th minute.

Head coach Paulo César introduced Merveille Kanjinga off the bench after the interval, a tactical switch that allowed Paris to establish greater dominance. Despite the shift in momentum, Marseille striker Mathilde Bourdieu nearly opened the scoring just past the hour mark in the 60th minute.

“Marseille put us in difficulty, especially in the first half, but we managed to score at moments that counted. We had to be solid because it’s a good team that works well. But we were solid at the back,” Griedge Mbock told Le Figaro.

The three points move Paris Saint-Germain up to the runner-up spot in the Arkema Première Ligue standings after nine matches. Marseille sits in fifth place following the defeat.

“We had quite a few chances, unfortunately we couldn’t put them in the back of the net. We played a good match but we still lost. It’s hard, but there really are a lot of things to keep anyway,” Amandine Béché told Le Figaro.