Paris (AFP)

Paris SG grimaces, Marseille smiles: the "Clasico" of Ligue 1, Sunday at the Parc des Princes (9:00 p.m.), promises to be very open between the PSG, weakened by cases of Covid-19 but which will find Neymar, and the 'OM, who dreams of a first success since 2011.

It is as if Paris had jumped back nine years, in the first months of its current Qatari owner.

Defeated in Lens on Thursday (1-0), PSG had not lost for its entry into the Championship since 2011, the year, also, of its last setback against the rival Marseille (3-0).

This statistic is in everyone's mind before the 98th confrontation in history between the two enemies.

The mountain of the defending champion in France, undefeated in the last 20 face-to-face, threatens to collapse.

Weakened by the positive test for the new coronavirus of seven executives, including Neymar, Kylian Mbappé, Angel Di Maria, Keylor Navas, Marquinhos and Mauro Icardi, PSG is no longer the team that climbed to the final of the Champions League in August.

His setback in Artois highlighted his vulnerability at the moment, especially in attack, where coach Thomas Tuchel lined up two 18-year-old beginners.

- Marseille, hungry dolphin -

The dolphin of PSG last season is approaching the capital in shark mode, attracted by this golden opportunity for him.

"We want to win, take advantage of the absences and their lack of training. We looked at the difficulties they had against Lens. It might be a chance, the right time for us," said the coach of OM André Villas-Boas.

"This series, they do not want it to end, and we want it to end," assured Dimitri Payet.

But the Marseille playmaker is in a good position to know that a "Clasico" goes beyond the framework of the field: his lodger tweet after the defeat of PSG against Bayern in C1 set fire on social networks, between supporters of both camps .

"The beast is injured, but we must not forget that PSG will not play against us as they played in Lens," he continued.

"It is one of the most important matches of the season. For me, as Titi, it is very important to me to play one, and for the team too," said defender Presnel Kimpembe.

- Neymar in the group -

The challenge for Paris will be to find this flame, without a match or fuel, since its noisy Parc des Princes is subject to the gauge of 5,000 people maximum present in the enclosure.

"These are not easy circumstances. I can understand that teams may think it's the right time to play, but we have quality, and we will show it," said Tuchel.

Between depopulated bench and truncated preparation, the club recovered on Friday, signing the Italian defender Alessandro Florenzi, qualified for the shock, and welcoming Neymar back to training.

The Brazilian N.10, like Di Maria, Navas and Paredes, reappear in the group, and apply to play, despite a physical condition that is necessarily not optimal.

"It's a question of whether they start or finish the match for us. If there is no risk, we will try," said the Parisian coach.

"The only thing that is clear is that they will not be 100%," Villas-Boas echoed.

His team remains on a success in Brest (3-2), before the international break, which filled him with confidence.

If his last days were upset by the positive test of his goalkeeper Steve Mandanda, who forced him to leave the gathering of the Blues, Florian Thauvin and company are decided to strike hard in Paris, where they pass their first test before the League champions they will meet again in October.

Marseille sure of its strength, Paris which doubts: in this world where the poles are reversed, all dreams are allowed.

© 2020 AFP