Achraf Hakimi will sit out Le Classique after the LFP’s disciplinary commission handed him a one-match ban for his Strasbourg red card. Warren Zaïre-Emery will likely fill in at right-back.
The timing could not be worse for PSG. Achraf Hakimi will sit out Sunday’s Classique against Olympique de Marseille after the LFP’s disciplinary commission handed him a one-match suspension — plus a second match suspended — for his red card at Strasbourg last weekend.
A red card that ended a 60-match streak
The Moroccan right-back was initially shown yellow for a studs-up challenge on Joaquin Panichelli in the 74th minute of PSG’s 2-1 win at Stade de la Meinau on Sunday. Referee Eric Wattellier upgraded it to red after reviewing the monitor. It was Hakimi’s fourth Ligue 1 red card, and his first since May 2023 — ending a 60-match run without a single PSG player being sent off in the league, a streak stretching back to March 2024, per beIN Sports.
Hakimi’s reaction toward the referee after the sending-off didn’t help his case either. There were concerns the commission might add extra punishment for his behavior, but the final verdict — one match firm, one suspended — is about as lenient as he could have hoped for.
PSG won anyway, which almost makes it worse
Here’s the thing: PSG didn’t just survive with ten men. They won. Nuno Mendes headed in Warren Zaïre-Emery’s cross six minutes after Hakimi walked, sealing a 2-1 victory that put Paris back on top of Ligue 1 with 48 points, two clear of Lens.
Luis Enrique was characteristically blunt afterward. “We were fortunate to win this match when most people would have thought it was impossible,” he told reporters. “It was not our best performance. In the end I don’t know if we deserved to win or not, but it was very important.”
Strasbourg coach Gary O’Neil, appointed last month after Liam Rosenior left for Chelsea, was understandably frustrated. “I am really proud of the team but really disappointed that we somehow found a way to lose, because I thought we were excellent and created the better chances,” he said via AFP.
Who fills in against Marseille?
The most likely answer is Zaïre-Emery, who already dropped to right-back after Hakimi’s dismissal in Strasbourg and handled it well enough. PSG conceded zero shots on target in the final 16 minutes despite being a man down.
But Le Classique is a different animal. Marseille are wounded after squandering a two-goal lead at Paris FC last Saturday and exiting the Champions League during the week. Roberto De Zerbi’s side sit third, nine points adrift of PSG, and will arrive at the Parc des Princes with nothing to lose. Losing Hakimi’s pace and aggression on the right flank removes one of PSG’s most reliable outlets in precisely the kind of match where those things matter most.
The disciplinary commission also confirmed a two-match ban for Metz defender Jean-Philippe Gbamin, who was sent off at Angers last weekend.
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