Paris St Germain coach Mauricio Pochettino said today’s top-of-the-table Ligue 1 clash against Lille would be important but not decisive as the season nears its end. PSG lead the standings on 63 points, ahead of second-placed Lille only on goal difference, with eight games remaining.
“It is obviously an important game and our goal is to stay on top after it, but it’s not decisive,” Pochettino told a news conference yesterday. PSG will be without Italy midfielder Marco Verratti, who returned from international duty with a thigh injury and will be rested four days before their Champions League quarter-final clash at Bayern Munich.
Pochettino said that Neymar, who played 20 minutes as a second-half substitute when returning from an injury layoff before the international break, had improved physically. “He was able to train at a high level for two weeks. We are pleased with the way he has been training. His physical level and rhythm are getting better. Of course he needs to play,” he said.
Lille coach Christophe Galtier does not believe that PSG’s upcoming Champions League clash will affect the French champions’ mindset.
“At this time of the season PSG often have to play a decisive game for the title and Champions League games, and even sometimes a League Cup knockout game,” he told a news conference. “So they’re used to that kind of scheduling.” Lille have not lost an away game in Ligue 1 since last November.
Lyon is third and Monaco is one point behind in fourth. Monaco can close the gap when they host Metz early today, while Lyon go to Lens later. Stevan Jovetic, the 31-year-old former Manchester City striker has emerged as a key player in a Monaco side who remain title contenders.
Jovetic has scored five times for the principality club in 2021, despite starting on just three occasions since the turn of the year.
Almost always consigned to the role of substitute, he was chosen ahead of French international Wissam Ben Yedder for the 4-0 win at Saint-Etienne last time out and duly scored the opening goal.
He built on that by scoring three times in three games for Montenegro in World Cup qualifying and will now hope to be selected by coach Niko Kovac for today’s clash with Metz as fourth-placed Monaco look to extend a run of one defeat in 15 outings. “It is going to be an important day, but I don’t think anyone will be out of the running if they lose,” Kovac said of today’s games in the title race.
Fixtures (kick-offs GMT)
Today: Monaco v Metz (1100), Paris Saint-Germain v Lille (1500), Lens v Lyon (1900)
Tomorrow: Angers v Montpellier (1100), Bordeaux v Strasbourg, Lorient v Brest, Nantes v Nice, Reims v Rennes (all 1300), Nimes v Saint-Etienne (1505), Marseille v Dijon (1900)
Paris St Germain coach Mauricio Pochettino. (Reuters)
