PSG moves closer to record-extending 13th French league title with 3-1 win against Marseille

PARIS (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain concluded a perfect week on Sunday to move a step closer to a record-extending 13th French league title.

PSG beat second-placed Marseille 3-1 to extend its lead at the top to 19 points with just eight rounds remaining. The victory over its bitter rival in the biggest game of French soccer came five days after PSG ousted Liverpool from the Champions League.

Known as “Le Classique,” the game between PSG and Marseille became popular during the 1990s when Marseille dominated. But the southern club — the only French team to win the Champions League back in 1993 — has fallen well behind since PSG was taken over by Qatari investors in 2011. Sunday's win extended PSG's unbeaten run against Marseille to nine league matches.

Still unbeaten in the league this season, PSG was in control and took the lead in the 17th minute. Ousmane Dembélé ran behind the back of the defense after Khvicha Kvaratskhelia cleverly deflected the ball for Fabian Ruiz, who set up the France forward. Dembélé then skipped past Marseille goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli and scored his 21st league goal of the season in an open goal.

Dembélé has been unstoppable since the turn of the year, notching 22 goals in all competitions for PSG so far in 2025, more than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues.

Dembélé also scored PSG’s goal when it won 1-0 at Liverpool on Tuesday to reach the Champions League quarterfinals following a penalty shootout.

Marseille stayed calm at the Parc des Princes after conceding, keeping a high pressing that resulted in a few dangerous first-half chances and corners.

But PSG made it 2-0 in the 42nd minute after Ruiz was expertly picked up by Achraf Hakimi and made the most of a lapse in the Marseille defense before crossing the ball for Nuno Mendes, who slotted the ball home.

Marseille pulled one back after the interval when a poor back pass from Nuno Mendes was intercepted by Marseille captain Adrien Rabiot, who cut the ball back for Amine Gouiri to conclude the move.

Dembélé later hit the post before Rulli stopped an effort from Warren Zaïre-Emery with his head. Marseille's hopes of a comeback vanished for good in the 76th minute when Pol Lirola beat his own 'keeper as he tried to clear a dangerous cross from Hakimi.

The match between bottom side Montpellier and fellow struggler Saint-Etienne was abandoned after a fire broke out in a stand due to flares thrown by home fans. Montpellier was trailing 2-0 after Lucas Stassin scored twice for the visitors when the match was stopped by referee Francois Letexier.

Television footage showed black smoke coming from the fire. Players from both teams were sent back to their locker rooms and some Montpellier fans trashed seats in the stands. The fire was extinguished but the game did not start again for security reasons, with Montpellier potentially now facing a heavy penalty.

In a season marking the club’s 50th anniversary, Montpellier sits rock bottom in the French league standings. Saint-Etienne is just one spot above in 17th place.

Substitutes Malick Fofana and Georges Mikautadze played key roles in helping Lyon to rally past Le Havre 4-2.

Mikautadze, who joined Lyon from Metz last year, scored and provided two assists after coming on in the 77th minute. Fofana replaced Ernest Nuamah with 19 minutes remaining with Lyon trailing 2-1 and Mikautadze came on for Rayan Cherki six minutes later.

Fofana leveled the scoring in the 78th minute from Mikautadze's assist with a left-footed angled shot, and the Georgia international then turned finisher after Le Havre defenders failed to clear a corner soon after.

Thiago Almada added more luster to Lyon's win with another goal in added time after another assist from Mikautadze.

Lyon captain Alexandre Lacazette had put Lyon in front from the penalty spot in the 22nd minute. Another penalty from Abdoulaye Toure put Le Havre level before Josue Casimir scored on the stroke of halftime for the visitors.

Lyon moved to fifth place in the standings, just two points behind the last direct Champions League spot. Le Havre remained 16th in the relegation playoff spot.

Brest and Reims drew 0-0, and Strasbourg beat Toulouse 2-1.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

PSG's Fabian Ruiz, right, celebrates with his teammate Warren Zaire-Emery after PSG's Nuno Mendes scored his side's second goal during the French League One soccer match between Paris Saint Germain and Marseille at Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Marseille's Amine Gouiri, right, celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the French League One soccer match between Paris Saint Germain and Marseille at Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Marseille's Adrien Rabiot, left, challenges for the ball with PSG's Willian Pacho during the French League One soccer match between Paris Saint Germain and Marseille at Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Marseille's Adrien Rabiot, left, challenges for the ball with PSG's Willian Pacho during the French League One soccer match between Paris Saint Germain and Marseille at Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

A giant screen shows a write "stop discriminatory chants - the match can be stopped and lost for the club" during the French League One soccer match between Paris Saint Germain and Marseille at Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Marseille's Amine Gouiri, right, celebrates with his teammate Derek Cornelius after scoring his side's opening goal during the French League One soccer match between Paris Saint Germain and Marseille at Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Marseille's Luis Henrique, right, challenges for the ball with PSG's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia during the French League One soccer match between Paris Saint Germain and Marseille at Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

PSG's players celebrate after PSG's Nuno Mendes scored his side's second goal during the French League One soccer match between Paris Saint Germain and Marseille at Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Marseille's Leonardo Balerdi, left, challenges for the ball with PSG's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia during the French League One soccer match between Paris Saint Germain and Marseille at Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Marseille's Amar Dedic, kicks the ball as PSG's Ousmane Dembele tries to stop him during the French League One soccer match between Paris Saint Germain and Marseille at Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Marseille's Amine Gouiri celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the French League One soccer match between Paris Saint Germain and Marseille at Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

PSG's players celebrate after PSG's Nuno Mendes scored his side's second goal during the French League One soccer match between Paris Saint Germain and Marseille at Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he’s cutting off the prospect of talks with Iranian officials amid a protest crackdown, telling Iranian citizens “help is on its way.”

Trump did not offer any details about what the help would entail, but it comes after the Republican president just days ago said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic, where the death toll from nationwide protests has spiked to more than 2,000, according to human rights monitors.

But Trump, with his latest message on social media, appeared to make an abrupt shift about his willingness to engage with the Iranian government.

"Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING - TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!” Trump wrote in a morning post on Truth Social, which he later amplified during a speech at an auto factory in Michigan. “Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price. I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY.”

Trump, in an exchange with reporters during the factory visit, demurred when asked what kind of help he would provide.

“You’re going to have to figure that one out,” he said.

He also said he didn't have accurate numbers on the death toll in Iran but added: “I think it’s a lot. It’s too many, whatever it is.”

The U.S. president has repeatedly threatened Tehran with military action if his administration found the Islamic Republic was using deadly force against antigovernment protesters. Trump on Sunday told reporters he believed Iran is “starting to cross” that line and has left him and his national security team weighing “very strong options” even as he said the Iranians had made outreach efforts to the U.S.

And on Monday, the president’s team offered guarded hope that a diplomatic solution could be found.

“What you’re hearing publicly from the Iranian regime is quite different from the messages the administration is receiving privately, and I think the president has an interest in exploring those messages,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Monday. “However, with that said, the president has shown he’s unafraid to use military options if and when he deems necessary, and nobody knows that better than Iran.”

Also on Monday, Trump said he would slap 25% tariffs on countries doing business with Tehran “effective immediately,” but the White House has not provided details on that move. China, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Brazil and Russia are among economies that do business with Tehran.

Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and key White House National Security Council officials began meeting Friday to develop options for Trump, ranging from a diplomatic approach to military strikes.

Iran, through the country’s parliamentary speaker, has warned that the U.S. military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if Washington uses force to protect demonstrators.

More than 600 protests have taken place across all of Iran’s 31 provinces, the Human Rights Activists News Agency reported Tuesday. The activist group said 1,850 of the dead were protesters and 135 were government-affiliated. It said more than 16,700 people had been detained.

Understanding the scale of the protests has been difficult. Iranian state media has provided little information about the demonstrations. Online videos offer only brief, shaky glimpses of people in the streets or the sound of gunfire.

Trump's push on the Iranian government to end the crackdown comes as he is dealing with a series of other foreign policy emergencies around the globe.

It’s been just over a week since the U.S. military launched a successful raid to arrest Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro and remove him from power. The U.S. continues to mass an unusually large number of troops in the Caribbean Sea.

Trump is also focused on trying to get Israel and Hamas onto the second phase of a peace deal in Gaza and broker an agreement between Russia and Ukraine to end the nearly four-year war in Eastern Europe.

But advocates urging Trump to take strong action against Iran say this moment offers an opportunity to further diminish the theocratic government that’s ruled the country since the Islamic revolution in 1979.

The demonstrations are the biggest Iran has seen in years — protests spurred by the collapse of Iranian currency that have morphed into a larger test of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s repressive rule.

Associated Press reporter Michelle L. Price contributed to this report.

Iranians attend an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo)

Iranians attend an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo)

President Donald Trump waves after arriving on Air Force One from Florida, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Md. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)