Paris Saint-Germain captain Mamadou Sakho said on Friday that Marseille's current woes would only intensify the atmosphere when the sides clash at Stade Velodrome on Sunday.
Marseille's Champions League ambitions were hit by a 1-0 loss at home to Olympiakos on Wednesday, while their striker Andre-Pierre Gignac has been dropped over a training ground confrontation with coach Didier Deschamps.
As a Parisian native and childhood PSG fan, Sakho says he will relish the opportunity of tackling a wounded Marseille.
"Playing against OM as a real Parisian is still exciting," he told AFP.
"We've all found ourselves sitting on the sofa waiting for this match, which people talk about for a month before.
"When we get closer to it, the tension will increase. But it doesn't change anything about my behaviour or my attitude. There are enough players with character at Paris to find the right words."
Having invested heavily in new players during the summer, PSG find themselves at the top of Ligue 1, although their title ambitions received a setback in an unscheduled 1-0 loss at home to Nancy last weekend.
That result followed a 1-1 draw at Bordeaux but with PSG having had the week off in the absence of any Europa League commitments, Sakho insists the Nancy defeat is no longer in their system.
"The defeat last week helped us by making us question ourselves," he said.
"We've regrouped psychologically and we've spoken amongst ourselves in order to be strong at Marseille.
"OM aren't in a good period but we don't look at how they're doing. We haven't played this week. Is it an advantage or not? I don't know. You'll have to ask Marseille."
Despite topping the table, PSG have not been spared media criticism over the quality of their football and coach Antoine Kombouare is reportedly yet to convince owners Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) of his qualities.
There were also reports of a training ground row between midfielder Mathieu Bodmer and Brazilian forward Nene on Thursday, but Sakho said such disagreements merely demonstrated the players' eagerness to succeed.
"Good! It shows that the players want to do well," he said.
"It happens between men. They talked this morning (Friday), they sorted things out. They're positive egos. It's what the squad needs."
Sakho also addressed the form of club record signing Javier Pastore, whose performances have dipped recently for the first time since he arrived from Palermo for 42 million euros ($55.8m).
The Argentine playmaker was captured on television moving sluggishly around the pitch during the loss to Nancy at Parc des Princes, but Sakho said he had no concerns about a team-mate who he described as "a phenomenon".
"Everyone walks on the pitch," he said.
"It happens to me as well after I've made a tackle. He also covers kilometres to help the team go forward.
"He needs his team-mates, as we need him. Everyone needs to raise their game. There are highs and lows for everyone."
Despite targeting a top-three finish at the start of the season, PSG's early-season form has thrust them into title contention and Sakho said he would have no qualms about openly gunning for the Ligue 1 crown.
"I always say the same thing. It's been a long time since PSG last qualified for the Champions League, so it'd be a very good thing to rediscover that music.
"One or two months before the end of the season, I'll weigh things up and I'll really aim for the title. But the primary objective is the Champions League."
Source: AFP
