Storm Force Marseille Vs PSG Postponement, Atletico Madrid Held In La Liga

The highly anticipated Ligue 1 clash between Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain has been postponed after severe weather warnings in southern France.

Regional authorities confirmed late Sunday that the Ligue 1 match at the 65,000-seater Stade Velodrome, initially set for 20:45 local time, could not proceed because of expected heavy rainfall and flooding risks.

“The match is postponed because there could be heavy rainfall with significant risks of runoff in urban areas,” prefect of the Bouches-du-Rhone department, Georges-Francois Leclerc, told AFP. He added that there “would be a risk” for both players and spectators if the game went ahead as planned.

The blockbuster encounter will take place on Monday at 8:00 p.m., giving fans and both clubs an extra day to prepare for one of Ligue 1’s fiercest rivalries.

In Spain, Atletico Madrid’s frustrating run of form continued with a 1-1 draw away to Mallorca.

Diego Simeone’s men looked set to grind out three points after Conor Gallagher put them ahead in the second half, but Vedat Muriqi’s late header in the 85th minute denied them victory. The result leaves Atletico languishing in 12th place, with just one win from their opening five La Liga matches.

It was another tough evening for Julian Alvarez, who returned from injury but missed a crucial penalty in the first half. Mallorca goalkeeper Leo Roman proved the hero, saving Alvarez’s spot-kick after Antonio Raillo was penalised for handball. Roman later denied the Argentine again from close range and produced several sharp saves to keep his side in the game.

Atletico’s task became even harder when Alexander Sorloth was shown a straight red card for a late challenge on Raillo with 18 minutes to go. Despite the setback, Simeone’s men took the lead when Marcos Llorente’s strike was parried into Gallagher’s path for a simple finish.

However, Atletico’s familiar problem of failing to close out matches resurfaced. Muriqi rose highest to nod in Jan Virgili’s cross, snatching a point for Mallorca, who remain second from bottom.

Jan Oblak was called into action late to deny Pablo Torre’s curling effort, ensuring Atletico avoided defeat, amid mounting pressure after a midweek Champions League loss to Liverpool.

Source: Naijanews