Paris Saint-Germain beat Red Bull Salzburg 3-0 in the Champions League in midweek. Luis Enrique will hope that proves to be a turning point.
Before that victory in Austria, PSG were in something of a sticky spot. They had lost their previous game in Europe, going down 1-0 to Bayern Munich and leaving themselves in danger of an early elimination from the tournament they want to win most.
Things were not going too well back home either, as PSG were held to draws by Nantes (1-1) and Auxerre (0-0) in successive Ligue 1 matches. That opened the door to Marseille and Monaco, both of whom are aiming to have a run at the title this term.
PSG are now back in the play-off spots in the Champions League, although the job is not done yet. Manchester City are up next for Luis Enrique’s team, who then conclude the league phase with a trip to Stuttgart.
But while going deep in continental competition is PSG’s priority, they cannot afford to take their eye off the domestic ball. The Parisians have dominated French football for some time now, but they still lost the title to Monaco in 2017 and Lille in 2021. The championship is not a given, even for PSG.
The holders have a tricky couple of games coming up. Monaco will host PSG in their final Ligue 1 fixture before Christmas, but first up is this tricky test against a Lyon team that have shot up the table in recent weeks.
Lyon are facing the threat of relegation to Ligue 2 due to their financial situation, yet the off-field drama does not seem to be affecting their output on the pitch.
Pierre Sage’s side have gone nine games unbeaten in Ligue 1. Their last two wins were emphatic, as Lyon beat Nice 4-1 and Angers 3-0. They are up to fifth in the standings, just a point behind Lille in the final Champions League spot.
