PARIS: Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé starred with two goals and an assist as Paris Saint-Germain crushed bitter rival Marseille 5-0 to reclaim top spot in Ligue 1 on Sunday.
The win restored defending champion PSG’s two-point lead over Lens after 21 rounds, with Marseille in fourth place behind Lyon after the humiliating defeat.
“We wanted to send a message that we’re back,” Dembélé said after PSG’s biggest winning margin against Marseille.
“It was almost perfect,” PSG coach Luis Enrique said. “It’s an important day for our fans because we made history, 5-0 never happened before.”
Despite PSG’s attacking flair, Marseille coach Roberto De Zerbi’s choices will be scrutinized following a truly dismal performance from his side lacking composure and fight. Marseille was eliminated from the Champions League following a 3-0 defeat against Club Brugge less than two weeks ago.
“Once again, I say sorry to the fans,” De Zerbi said. “I’m not in the players’ heads. I thought we had prepared well for this game but clearly not. We need to understand why we played this way in Bruges and here.”
Top scorer Mason Greenwood, fellow forward Amine Gouiri and new signing Ethan Nwaneri were anonymous in attack, with veteran Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on the bench.
De Zerbi dropped goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli after a couple of poor performances and replaced him with Jeffrey de Lange, who was out of sorts, albeit not helped by his defense.
De Lange was easily beaten when Dembélé side-footed in a cross from left back Nuno Mendes in the 12th minute following a quick break launched by Désiré Doué.
However, PSG could have been down to 10 players before then. Midfielder Vitinha caught defender Leonardo Balerdi’s ankle with a late tackle but escaped with a yellow card.
Having denied Bradley Barcola with a fine low save, De Lange was beaten again in the 37th when Dembélé profited from a glaring error from Balerdi.
He let the ball through his legs on PSG’s right flank, allowing Dembélé to attack the penalty area, dribble past him and find the roof of the net.
“We can’t accept this, we don’t come here to play like this,” said Balerdi, who did not mention his own performance. “We were not good enough and you could see it. Against such a team you pay for it.”
Marseille’s weak defense cracked in 10 second-half minutes, with Facundo Medina scoring an own-goal over the head of De Lange, and Dembélé setting up Khvicha Kvaratskhelia for a clinical volley before Lee Kang-in slotted home the fifth.
Marseille’s 1-0 win over PSG in September will seem like a distant memory.
Fans closely watched
PSG fans were in the spotlight after last season’s match at Parc des Princes was marred by homophobic and racist chanting, with a warning to “stop discriminatory chants” posted on the giant screen.
There were brief discriminatory chants about Marseille at the start of the game and referee Willy Delajod stopped play for about one minute around the 70th, at which point a message was posted on the big screen.
Köhn gets away with blunder
Monaco goalkeeper Philipp Köhn got away with a blunder in a 0-0 draw at Nice in the French Riviera derby.
Köhn stopped the ball going out for a corner but slid and mis-kicked it to attacking midfielder Sofiane Diop on the edge of the penalty area in the 72nd minute. Diop’s curling shot was going in until defender Thilo Kehrer acrobatically heeled the ball away.
Folarin Balogun hit the crossbar for Monaco in the third minute.
Other matches
Veteran striker Ciro Immobile drew a blank on his league debut for Paris FC in a 0-0 draw at Auxerre.
During the 2019-20 season he finished as the “Capocannoniere” (top scorer) in the Italian league with 36 goals for Lazio and has scored 304 goals overall at club level.
Immobile played forward Jonathan Ikoné clean through during the second half, but Ikoné’s shot was saved.
Angers moved up to ninth after beating Toulouse 1-0 thanks to a brilliant lob from defender Lilian Raolisoa from nearly 40 meters out in the 89th.
Le Havre moved up to 13th after winning 2-1 at home to Strasbourg.
Lens beat Rennes 3-1 on Saturday.
Dembélé stars as PSG crushes bitter rival Marseille 5-0 to regain top spot in Ligue 1
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Dembélé stars as PSG crushes bitter rival Marseille 5-0 to regain top spot in Ligue 1
- The win restored defending champion PSG’s two-point lead over Lens after 21 rounds, with Marseille in fourth place behind Lyon after the humiliating defeat
LIV Golf announces return to Korea in 2026
- Home favorites Korean Golf Club lead the field as Bryson DeChambeau and his Crushers GC team return to defend their LIV Golf Korea individual and team titles
BUSAN: LIV Golf today confirmed its return to Korea in 2026, with LIV Golf Korea set to be played at Asiad Country Club in Busan from May 28-31, 2026.
Marking a new chapter for the league in Asia, the 2026 event will introduce Asiad Country Club to the LIV Golf calendar in a multi-year agreement with the venue. Located in Korea’s second-largest city, the course has previously hosted international tournaments, including the BMW Ladies Championship and the 2002 Asian Games, and is regarded as one of the country’s finest championship venues.
Scott O’Neil, CEO of LIV Golf, said, “Bringing LIV Golf back to Korea, and to Busan for the first time, is an important next step for the league and for our fans here. The appetite for LIV Golf continues to grow, and Asiad Country Club and the city of Busan give us a venue that meets our ambitions for the event, both competitively and culturally in Korea. We’re excited to build on the momentum from our debut last season and deliver another memorable week for Korean fans.”
Fans can join the waitlist now at LIVGolf.com to secure tickets for LIV Golf Korea 2026, with hospitality and grounds pass details to be announced soon. Fans are encouraged to join the waitlist early, with limited inventory available. Premium hospitality and corporate experiences will be available for purchase, alongside specialty-priced group tickets for parties of 10 or more. Children aged 12 and under will receive complimentary Grounds Pass admission (one per paying adult).
LIV Golf made its debut in Korea in 2025, where Bryson DeChambeau claimed the individual title and led his Crushers GC to a team victory, completing a memorable double sweep. DeChambeau will return in 2026 to defend his title against a world-class field featuring many of the biggest names in the game, including former Ryder Cup star Anthony Kim, who recently beat DeChambeau and Legion XIII captain Jon Rahm in dramatic fashion to claim the LIV Golf Adelaide individual title, his first professional win in nearly 16 years.
Home attention will center on Korean Golf Club, featuring an all-Korean lineup led by captain Byeong Hun An alongside Minkyu Kim, Younghan Song and Danny Lee. Formed in 2026, the team has already found momentum both on and off the course, securing domestic partners including HANWHA PLUS and apparel partner AMAZINGCRE. Backed by strong local support, Korean Golf Club brings its own distinct brand of K-golf to the LIV Golf league, reflecting the culture, energy and growing influence of the game in Korea around the world.
An, captain of Korean Golf Club, said: “Playing LIV Golf in Korea means a great deal to all of us. Competing at home, in front of Korean fans, brings a different level of pride. As a team, we’re excited to represent Korean golf on this stage and around the world, and we’re excited to show the energy, passion and competitiveness that define the way Korean Golf Club plays the game.”
A city known for its vibrant culture, energy, and iconic coastline, Busan will host LIV Golf for the first time, again expanding the league’s reach through its 14-event calendar taking place across 10 countries and five continents.
Park Heong-joon, mayor of Busan Metropolitan City, said, “We are proud to welcome the LIV Golf League back to Korea and to host the event in Busan for the first time this May. Bringing a global sporting event of this scale to our city reflects Busan’s growing role as an international destination for sport, culture and tourism. We look forward to welcoming players, fans and visitors from around the world and showcasing the hospitality of Busan.”
As with last year’s event, which featured headline music acts including G-Dragon and IVE, the LIV Golf Korea experience will extend beyond the course, combining world-class competition with live music and unrivalled off-course entertainment. Details of the full concert and entertainment program will be announced soon.
The announcement of LIV Golf Korea 2026 marks the final event to be unveiled for LIV Golf’s 2026 season. The global golf league will host 14 events across 10 countries and five continents during the 2026 season, including its first-ever event in South Africa (March 19–22), alongside stops in Saudi Arabia, Adelaide, Hong Kong, Singapore, Mexico, Spain, the US, and the UK.
Notably, LIV Golf has already broken attendance records at LIV Golf Adelaide 2026, drawing more than 115,000 fans across the four-day tournament, including a single-day crowd exceeding 38,500 spectators, both new highs for the league and for professional golf events in Australia.
