A tight French title race culminates Sunday with table toppers Lille, a win away from dethroning Neymar and Kylian Mbappe’s Paris Saint-Germain as champions.
Christophe Galtier’s outfit have no major stars but are unbeaten away since November and travel to mid-table Angers, a team who have lost five of their last six league games. On 80 points, Lille hold a slender one-point lead over PSG, who won the French Cup in midweek. Galtier has been a tower of strength at the head of three-time former champions Lille and is confident his charges will complete the job. “Our campaign has been built on away performances. We just have to stick to our guns,” he said.
Turkish veteran striker Burak Yilmaz, 35, is Lille’s top scorer with 15 goals, compared to the league-leading 26 of Mbappe, but there is a palpable sense of unity at the club.
Lille, bidding to win the title for the first time in a decade, have a smaller budget than that of Lyon, Marseille, Monaco, and PSG.
PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino insisted his side will hold their nerve at Brest, who are desperate to avoid being dragged into the relegation play-off spot. “We have to believe it’s possible, do our job by winning our match at Brest and see if Lille run into trouble,” said Pochettino, whose charges will take the title with a win if Lille draws or lose.
If they are successful, PSG will be crowned French champions for a record-equalling 10th time.