Olympique de Marseille – Toulouse FC: Marseille Stumble In Title Tilt (2-2)

With Paris Saint-Germain falling to AS Monaco earlier in the day, Olympique de Marseille had the chance to go top of the table with a win over their southern rivals, Toulouse FC. An opportunity that Marseille could not afford to give up, and one they allowed to slip past their fingers as Toulouse held them to a draw. 

Tactical analysis and match report by Nick Hartland.

The pressure was on for Olympique de Marseille with Paris Saint-Germain dropping points in Monaco. A victory against Toulouse FC would be enough for them to leapfrog their rivals and take top spot in Ligue 1. This has been the goal for the club since Roberto De Zerbi took over in 2024, and this season, with a flagging PSG, there is a chance to knock the champions off their perch. 

De Zerbi went with a 4-2-3-1 shape. Gerónimo Rulli in goal behind a defense of Emerson Palmieri, Nayef Aguerd, Benjamin Pavard, and Timothy Weah. In midfield, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg was partnered with Bilal Nadir, with Arthur Vermeeren dropping to the bench. On the wings, Igor Paixão and Mason Greenwood, with Angel Gomes as the no.10. Up front, Pierre-Emile Aubameyang retained his place as the no.9. 

Since winning promotion back to the top flight in 2022, Toulouse have become comfortably midtable. The heights of winning their first piece of major silverware, the 2023 Coupe de France, have not yet been equalled, but on Saturday evening, they would at the very least be hoping to crash Marseille’s party. However, to do this, they would have to turn around a recent run of form that has . . .