PARIS: After they were beaten midweek in the Champions League, Ligue 1 rivals Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille need to be more convincing back on the domestic stage.
PSG, which became European champion for the first time last season, lost at Sporting 2-1 and Marseille were overwhelmed by Liverpool 3-0 at home.
PSG are going through a mediocre patch, having lost two of their last three matches across competitions. Friday’s game at second-to-last Auxerre should help Luis Enrique’s team rebuild some confidence.
On paper, the task faced by Marseille are more difficult, hosting leader Lens at Stade Velodrome.
Key matchups
Lens travel south in full confidence after recording a 10th consecutive win across all competitions last weekend. Lens claimed their only French title in 1998 and have a one-point lead over defending champion PSG.
Third-placed Marseille, meanwhile, have been putting on brilliant displays and boast the league’s best attacking record, with 41 goals after 18 rounds. But the nine-time champion have also been inconsistent at the back. The setback to Liverpool marked the first time since March 2022 that Marseille lost back-to-back home games without scoring.
Before the trip to Auxerre, PSG boss Luis Enrique said it’s time for his team to take control of Ligue 1.
“We’re not yet where we want to be in the league,” he said. “We need to keep working hard and trying to win. We’re used to deep defensive blocks. That’s often how our opponents play against us. We want to become leaders but Lens are in great form with 10 consecutive wins. It’s exciting.”
Players to watch
Adrien Thomasson has played a crucial role in Lens’ rise to the top. Thomasson has been thriving since he was repositioned in a deeper role. Alongside PSG’s Vitinha, he is the joint top assist provider with six, and has two goals.
PSG defender Achraf Hakimi, back from the Africa Cup of Nations after losing with Morocco to Senegal in a chaotic final, won’t play against Auxerre. The club said he will train indoors this weekend.
Off the field
French magazine Paris Match reported this week that PSG and France defender Lucas Hernandez has been accused of human trafficking and undeclared work.
The magazine said a Colombian family accused the player and his wife of having employed them without a legal framework and with excessively long working hours. The Versailles public prosecutor’s office told French media that an investigation was underway.
PSG, Marseille looking to bounce back after Champions League losses
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PSG, Marseille looking to bounce back after Champions League losses
- PSG are going through a mediocre patch, having lost two of their last three matches
- On paper, the task faced by Marseille are more difficult, hosting leader Lens
Twice champion Naomi Osaka out of Australian Open
- Osaka said on social media that her body needed attention following her previous match against Sorana Cirstea
MELBOURNE: Twice Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka has pulled out of the Grand Slam ahead of her scheduled third round match on Saturday, citing a fitness problem.
Her opponent, Australian Maddison Inglis, has a walkover into the fourth round.
Japanese 16th seed Osaka, the 2019 and 2021 winner at Melbourne Park, said on social media that her body needed attention following her previous match against Sorana Cirstea, without elaborating on the issue.
“I’ve had to make the difficult decision to withdraw to address something my body needs attention for after my last match,” she wrote.
“I was so excited to keep going and this run meant the most to me, so having to stop here breaks my heart but I can’t risk doing any further damage so I can get back on the court.”
The pull-out is a setback for Osaka, who has been returning to her best and made the US Open semifinals last year.
At Melbourne Park, Osaka made a huge splash before her opening match against Antonia Ruzic when she entered Rod Laver Arena in a jellyfish-inspired outfit, one of the boldest fashion statements seen at a Grand Slam.
