Aarran Summers 

If you were to meet the hundreds of football fans in the cafes and bars around France and asked which game, they are most likely to watch in Ligue 1 – the majority would say Le Classique.

Paris Saint-Germain against Marseille is essentially a battle between north and south. Similar to El Clasico – there is a hatred between the two sides. A real physical animosity between two of the best clubs in French football today. 

Paris Saint-Germain's recent meteoric rise in Ligue 1 has changed the flavour of a once intense derby. PSG are relative newcomers compared to their chief rivals. Founded only in 1970, they are 71 years younger than Marseille. Competition for Marseille was often non-existent before PSG's birth. The south coast side were the champions of their day and a significant force for almost a century. 

The catalyst for change was when Gerard Houllier led PSG to their first league title in 1986. It was the beginning of their emergence and subsequent humiliation of the Les Phoceens that saw Marseille change their ways. 

French businessman and politician, Bernard Tapie, bought the club soon after PSG's win. Players from outside arrived, including the Englishman, Chris Waddle. A revamped youth system developed youthful talent inside the Paris walls. Those included the impressive Eric Cantona and future World Cup and European Championship winners Didier Deschamps and Marcel Desailly. 

The Tapie era saw Marseille win three successive league titles, starting from 1989. Marseille also secured the 1993 UEFA Champions League. It was clear the Tapie effect was in full swing. The current Marseille team was fast becoming the best team in French football and an iconic team on the continent. It culminated in their victory in Le Classique to decide that season's title, barely several days after their continental triumph. Basile Boli with one of the most critical goals in Le Classique history.

Tapie's reign at Marseille did not last long; jailed in 1994 for a match-fixing scandal. The club found themselves relegated to Ligue 2. While PSG found themselves in financial trouble, we would have to wait until the millennium until the rivalry intensified once more.

Marseille had only lost twice to PSG in the 1990s. That would change when Qatar Sports Investments became the owners of PSG in 2011. The capital club has won seventeen out of twenty meetings in all competitions. Since their takeover, PSG have won 22 titles and have overtaken Marseille as the most successful club in French football. Marseille last won a trophy back in 2012.

Aside from the success, PSG's growth on the pitch has exploded, where Marseille has stuttered. Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, the world's two most expensive players, ply their trade at the Parc des Princes. 

This season we have seen Marseille return to the almost the very top and currently second behind their nemesis. Twelve points may separate the two sides, but under the leadership of Andre Villas-Boas, there is hope for Marseille to return to former glories.

One has beaten the other 31 times in Ligue 1 – PSG will likely win the 32nd first. PSG may win Ligue 1 several more times before Marseille do the same. Still, despite its predictability on those two fronts, Le Classique remains an iconic derby in French and world football.