Ligue 1 leader PSG rests while other teams chase a Champions League spot

PARIS (AP) — With Paris Saint-Germain given the weekend off to prepare for its trip to Liverpool in the Champions League, there will be no top-of-the-table clash against Lens this weekend.

The French league controversially postponed the 1st vs. 2nd encounter following a request from PSG. Initially set for April 11, it fell between PSG’s two quarterfinal legs against Liverpool and will now be played on May 13.

Victory would have allowed Lens — which opposed the change — to close the gap to one point on leader PSG, which has played one less game.

Instead, the focus this weekend will be on the battle for third place, which secures automatic entry into the Champions League next season, while the team in fourth enters qualifying.

It promises to be an exciting race to the line with Lille, Marseille, Monaco, Lyon and Rennes all in contention.

Third-placed Lille and seventh-placed Rennes are separated by three points with six rounds left.

Key matchups

Fourth-placed Marseille and fifth-place Monaco are level on points.

Marseille needs to bounce back from last weekend’s loss to Monaco with a home win over rock-bottom Metz. Monaco is on a seven-game winning streak in the league as it heads to face Paris FC. Both games are on Friday.

Rennes hosts Angers on Saturday while Lille goes to midtable Toulouse on Sunday.

Sixth-place Lyon bids to end a nine-match winless run in all competitions when it hosts Lorient on Sunday. The goals have dried up for Lyon with only three scored in the past six games.

Players to watch

Monaco forward Folarin Balogun is in superb form and scored a contender for goal of the season last weekend, finishing off a driving run with a deft lob from the edge of the penalty area.

His teammate Paul Pogba could make a long-awaited comeback in midfield following a lengthy injury layoff due to a persistent left calf problem. He has played only about 30 minutes with Monaco since his debut near the end of November.

Striker Esteban Lepaul’s clinical finishing has helped Rennes make a late push for a European spot and he co-tops the French league scoring charts with 16 goals.

Bradley Barcola could return for PSG from a right ankle injury sustained in the Champions League last month against Chelsea.

Out of action

Monaco’s Brazilian fullbacks Caio Henrique and Vanderson are still recovering from hamstring injuries picked up in a win over PSG last month.

PSG midfielder Fabián Ruiz remains sidelined with a knee injury from a Champions League game against Sporting Lisbon in January.

Strasbourg striker Joaquín Panichelli is out for the rest of the season after rupturing his right ACL. Panichelli still co-tops the French league scoring charts.

Stadium expansion?

PSG fans might have been celebrating when Emmanuel Grégoire won the Paris mayoral race last month,

It’s potentially great news for the club because, unlike his predecessor Anne Hidalgo, Grégoire is in favor of PSG expanding its stadium rather than having to relocate.

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The Parc des Princes Stadium holds about 48,500 spectators and the club wants a minimum 60,000-seat capacity.

However, that would require Paris City Hall — which owns the stadium — to sell it to PSG. Hidalgo was deeply opposed, leaving PSG having to build a new stadium elsewhere to get a bigger capacity. That would mean moving out of the city and into the outskirts, in Passy or Massy, which would displease its historical fan base.

But Grégoire is open to selling and was seen at the stadium last Friday when PSG beat Toulouse 3-1.

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