'We were ready to go to war' – Mbia recounts Marseille’s last win at PSG

Stephane Mbia has given an account of the last time Olympique Marseille claimed a Ligue 1 win in the backyard of Paris Saint-Germain, which was a 3-0 win on February 28, 2010.

Dubbed Le Classique in what is the biggest fixture in French football, Marseille gave their hosts no breathing space on that occasion with Hatem Ben Arfa, Benoit Cheyrou and Lucho Gonzalez getting on the scoresheet.

Mbia was on display that day and he narrated how his teammates gave their all to claim the three points.

“The feeling is not easy to describe, but we were proud for our supporters, for the club and for all the people of Marseille,” the Cameroonian told FootMercato.

“Nothing could happen to us in this game. This is what we felt a bit throughout the season. It was just huge, that year, we were really strong ... This group gave off incredible strength, we were all ready to go to war.

“We felt we were gaining momentum throughout the season, we had a lot of self-confidence. This group exuded a lot of serenity. This match against PSG was in February, the time to be ready to attack the final phase of the season. We were ready!”

Marseille have not been able to claim another league win against PSG since then, losing 13 of 16 meetings which is their worst run against any opponent in the French top-flight.

Mbia is not pleased with such poor form, but believes the team is pumped up for Sunday’s highly-anticipated clash in the French capital.

“This is the last victory against PSG at the Parc des Princes, it goes back 10 years, it's incredible! We must put an end to this! Quite honestly no, I didn't expect it to last that long! It's far too long,” he continued.

“Of course, it's a game apart. No need for big speeches, everyone is pumped up! For a Classic, the motivation is naturally there, you just have to know how to control it.

“The Marseille version of Andre Villas-Boas is devilishly effective. The game he offers is not always flamboyant, but, on his arrival, Marseille qualified for the Champions League, that's the main thing!

“Most important are the results. I think, this Sunday, it's a huge opportunity to put an end to this interminable bad series.”

Mbia spent three years at the Stade Velodrome, making 102 appearances, scoring five goals and providing five assists.

He is presently on the books of Shanghai Shenhua in the Chinese Super League.

A former Cameroon captain, Mbia made 68 appearances for the Indomitable Lions.