Breaking Down PSG's Final 3 Ligue 1 Opponents

With their 2-0 victory over Nantes on Sunday, Paris Saint-Germain took their place back at the top of Ligue 1. There are now only three matchdays left in Ligue 1 this season, and Laurent Blanc’s side are very close to securing their third consecutive title.

One slip up and Olympique Lyonnais will be back in the race, however, as Hubert Fournier’s team has a slight goal-difference advantage.

The margins are small, and with the rewards so great at this time of the season, any slip-ups could be vital.

Let’s break down PSG’s final three Ligue 1 opponents.

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EA Guingamp

Jocelyn Gourvennec’s Breton side would be a dangerous test for PSG on any other occasion. However, with three games to go, they are one of the only teams in Ligue 1 with nothing to play for.

Their 2-0 win over Stade de Reims on Saturday took them nine points clear of the relegation zone, but still 10 points off a potential Europa League place.

Guingamp managed to beat PSG at the Stade du Roudourou this season, and they would love to do the double over the Parisians. However, after a hard season, that might just be too much to produce.

There are reasons for PSG to be cautious, though. Guingamp boast striker Claudio Beauvue, whose 15 goals for the club this season have been a huge part of their success. He’s is quick, strong and deadly from all areas of the pitch.

Also, it was only in August 2013 that Guingamp held PSG for 91 minutes at the Parc des Princes. The home side scored twice in injury time, but it was so nearly points dropped.

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Montpellier HSC

PSG’s trip to the Stade de la Mosson will be their toughest test left this season. Rolland Courbis’ side are still fighting for a Europa League spot and boast the sixth-best home record in the league.

This will likely be make-or-break fixture for the Parisians. Win in Montpellier—somewhat avenging the 2012 title the southern club won—and the title will be all but wrapped up.

The red card shown to Vitorino Hilton on Saturday means Montpellier will be without one of their best defenders for the game, something Blanc will hope to exploit.

Montpellier have shown this season that they can mix it with the the bigger teams. Their variation on the 4-2-3-1 formation has helped them beat Marseille twice and win 11 out of their 18 home games.

However, they have also shown they can be torn apart, just as Lyon demonstrated with their 5-1 win at the Mosson in March.

The offensive play of Anthony Mounier and Lucas Barrios will be a threat, backed up by the organisation and midfield energy of Jonas Martin, Paul Lasne and Jamel Saihi.

They have been more consistent than usual this season, so it is hard to predict just how much of a threat they will carry.

Just three points behind Bordeaux in sixth, they will not want to relinquish their pursuit of Europa League football—especially as they play Bordeaux on the final day—thus providing a huge threat to PSG’s title chances.

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Stade de Reims

It is hard to predict what sort of resistance Stade de Reims will put up on the last day of the season.

Right now, they are one point ahead of Evian, who occupy the last relegation place. In two weeks’ time, that could've all changed.

Reims have only won three times on their travels this season—one of the reasons they could go down—and under new boss Olivier Guegan, they haven’t shown much signs of improvement.

In his four games in charge, his team has managed just one victory. This is not the same Reims side that beat Lille twice last season, eliminated Monaco from the cup and beat PSG two seasons back.

They try to play an organised counter-attacking style, one suited to playing in Paris, but they don’t have the players to make it work. Perhaps former PSG forward David N’Gog will prove problematic to his old club.

In reality, if the title isn’t sewn up by the time Reims arrive in the capital, they will be no more than observers to PSG’s title party, perhaps saying goodbye to Ligue 1 in the process.