- Paris Saint-Germain is set to play its postponed 29th-round Ligue 1 fixture against second-place RC Lens this Wednesday, May 13th.
- This pivotal match could see the capital club clinch its fifth consecutive French championship.
Paris Saint-Germain is eyeing a potential double, having already secured a spot in the Champions League final for the second consecutive year. The team from the Parc des Princes has a golden opportunity to secure their first domestic title this Wednesday, May 13th. Dominating the league standings with 73 points, the Parisians will travel to face Lens (67 points) at 9 PM for a rescheduled match from Ligue 1’s 29th round. Lens has enjoyed an exceptional season, solidifying their position as the league’s runner-up.
Chasing their 14th title in the competition – and an impressive fifth in a row – the capital club stands on the verge of making more history. PSG could become only the third team in the 21st century to mathematically seal the title in a direct confrontation with the team in second place. This rare feat has previously been achieved by Lyon against Lens in the 2001/02 season (3-1) and by PSG itself against Monaco in the 2017/18 season (7-1).
A draw or victory secures the championship for Paris
To lift the trophy as early as this Wednesday, Luis Enrique’s squad simply needs to avoid a defeat. A draw at Bollaert-Delelis, a venue where the northern side has only suffered two losses this season, would be enough for them to celebrate. With 74 points, PSG would be mathematically out of reach before the final matchday on Sunday, May 17th (Lens would then have 68 points). Similarly, a Parisian victory would also definitively decide the championship, creating an even wider points gap.
Superior goal difference provides a significant advantage
Conversely, to maintain even a faint glimmer of hope, Lens absolutely must secure a victory at home against a Parisian side currently hampered by injuries. Key players like Willian Pacho, Nuno Mendes, Warren Zaïre-Emery, Lee Kang-In, Achraf Hakimi, and Lucas Chevalier are all sidelined. Should Lens triumph, Pierre Sage’s team, whose coach was recently named Ligue 1’s coach of the year, would narrow the gap to three points, reaching 70 points. This would theoretically allow them to catch up on the 38th and final day, provided the stars align (and crucially, if PSG loses its derby against Paris FC).
However, even this improbable scenario is unlikely to deny Marquinhos and his teammates another title, primarily due to their significantly superior goal difference (+44 compared to Lens’s +29). Goal difference is the deciding factor in case of a points tie. In essence, even with a loss, Paris Saint-Germain is highly unlikely to relinquish the top spot unless their rivals manage to overcome a substantial 15-goal difference, a truly monumental task. As Parisian coach Luis Enrique remarked after their 1-0 win against Brest, “We must acknowledge what Lens has achieved all season; they have performed at an incredible level, making it very challenging for us,” before adding, “but we are already champions, 99.9%.” The football world now waits to see if that percentage will hit 100% this Wednesday, or if the suspense will extend to the final weekend of competition.
