Matvey Safonov vs. " Marseille": victory " PSG" and questions to the goalkeeper

Parisians' Pyrrhic victory and Marseilles abyss: how Le Classic exposed the crisis of French football.

The match of the fifth round of the French League 1 season-2026/2027, held on the evening of September 20 at the Orange Velodrome stadium, was supposed to become the main showcase of French football, but only once again demonstrated the deep problems of its grandees. “Paris Saint-Germain” under the leadership of Luis Enrique with a minimum score of 2-1 defeated “Olympic Marseille”, but this victory was only a temporary patch for both teams. The guests conceded during the meeting and continue to fever in the championship, and the hosts, who suffered the fifth defeat in a row, finally plunged into the abyss of the relegation zone.

The meeting, held under the judgeship of François Letexier, began with a difficult positional confrontation. Marseille, experiencing difficult times, as evidenced by the recent 1-4 defeat by Besiktas in the Europa League, entered the field with a clear burden of responsibility. The first half was held with a tangible advantage of the hosts in terms of aggression, but not in terms of implementation. Neil Mope managed to squander two surest opportunities, including a one-on-one exit in the 64th minute. In that episode, the Russian goalkeeper of Parisians Matvey Safonov was powerless, but he was frankly lucky because of the sluggishness of the striker. This moment became the quintessence of the current state of Marseille: the team creates moments, but categorically does not know how to use them.

The turning point in the match came after the break, when PSG finally added to the pace and began to justify the status of the favorite. In the 67th minute, Ferrand Torres, who continues to prove his worth after moving from Barcelona and is memorable for the only goal in the final of the World Cup in July, masterfully closed the canopy of Desiree Duais with his head. For the Spaniard, this is his seventh goal of the season. It would seem that the logical development of events for the team, which was forced to recoup in the standings.

However, the joy of Parisians did not last long. Five minutes later, in the 72nd minute, Amin Guiri found Angel Gomez passing. The English midfielder, beating Pacho and moving to the center, shot the near corner of Safonov's goal. In this episode, the goalkeeper of the guests had no chance of salvation. The denouement came in the 75th minute. PSG captain Marquinhos, who connected to Nuno Mendes' canopy, first faced a reliable goalkeeper save, but on finishing he was the quickest, sending the ball into the net and recording the third goal of the season.

The final chord of the meeting was simply humiliating for Olympia. In the 77th minute, hosts captain Timothy Weah, unable to cope with emotions and pressure, earned a second warning and left the field, leaving the team in the minority. The explosion of the stands that followed Gomez's goal finally faded away. The fifth defeat in a row leaves Marseille in penultimate place in the Ligue 1 table. A team that has historically had to fight for titles is now forced to look back at the underdogs.

Special attention deserves the figure of Matvei Safonov, who again got a chance in the framework of PSG thanks to the trust of Luis Enrique, who left Luca Chevalier and Alessandro Longoni on the bench. For the Russian goalkeeper, this match was the eighth of the season, and his statistics raise serious questions. Having conceded the tenth goal in all tournaments and kept the goal locked only once, in the game of the fourth round with Brest (1-0), Safonov demonstrates instability, which cannot suit an ambitious Parisian club.

The French press ambiguously assessed the Russian game. Le Parisien and Footmercato noted his overall concentration, confident footplay at the start of attacks and three saves, as well as a calm first half. However, the emphasis was made on the fact that the goal from Gomez was the result of the only truly dangerous attack of the hosts in the second half of the match. For the goalkeeper of a top club to concede from an opponent who does not shine with creativity, and rely on luck in duels with Mope is a disturbing symptom, indicating that the fight for a place at the core is far from over.

The head coach of PSG Luis Enrique after the match noted that “Le Classic” on the road always takes a huge amount of strength. The Paris coach admitted that the starting stretch was difficult due to Marseille's tight defense, but praised the team for a brilliant start to the second half and an abundance of goalscoring moments. Enrique expressed joy at the three points he thought were needed to support the fans.

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However, despite winning the principled derby, the overall picture for PSG remains disappointing. Eight points in five rounds and only sixth place in the table is catastrophically low for a team assembled for total dominance. The final whistle at the Velodrome recorded a result that should not be misleading. Marseille are in a deep hole from which there is no way out, and PSG continues to shake the internal crisis, and even a victory over an outsider is not able to hide the systemic problems of a team that has a long way to go to return to the status of the unconditional favorite of French football.