The final games of the Ligue 1 season take place on Sunday and it looks set to be a thrilling last day at both the top and the bottom. Montpellier and Paris Saint-Germain are both battling it out for the title, while no fewer than eight teams are fighting for top-flight survival.
Montpellier are in the box seat to take the trophy for the first time in their history, with a three-point lead over their closest challengers, PSG. The goal difference is equal though, at +33, and a slip-up from the leaders on the final day is likely to see the big-spending captial outfit snatch the title.
But Rene Girard’s league leaders look unlikely to lose against already-relegated Auxerre, especially on their current run of form. Montpellier have only lost one of their last nine games, winning seven of those including away victories over Marseille, Toulouse and Rennes.
PSG’s only hope is that the pressure is off Auxerre and that they look to end on a high note – with the bottom club winning just one of their last three home games (Match Betting – Auxerre 5/1, draw 11/4, Montpellier 4/7).
Carlo Ancelotti’s men also have a big game at Lorient, who could go down if beaten by PSG. Lorient did win the reverse fixture 0-1 in Paris back in August and have not lost to their final-day opponents in the last five meetings.
But PSG (10/1 to win 3-0) have lost just once in their last seven league games and the goals have been flying in as well, with 16 scored in their last five fixtures.
Should, as expected, Lorient lose to the title challengers, then Les Merlus are in real danger of dropping out of the top flight – with just a point between them and the relegation zone.
Two relegation spots need to be filled and second-from-bottom Dijon look almost certain to join Auxure in Ligue 2 next season. Patrice Carteron’s men will start the day two points from safety and face a tough trip to seventh-placed Rennes (Match Betting – Rennes 4/5, draw 11/4, Dijon 16/5).
Of the other relegated-threatend teams, the one fixture that could prove crucial is the clash between Valenciennes and Caen – currently 12th and 17th respectively and both in danger of going down (HT-FT Draw/Draw 4/1).
Caen have lost on their last three visits to the Stade du Hainaut and look like the side that could fill that third relegation birth.
The other teams still fearing a last-day relegation are third-from-bottom Ajaccio (away to Toulouse), Brest (away to Evian), Sochaux (home to Marseille) and Nice (away to Lyon).
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The title run-in is reaching a climax in France with Montpellier looking to consolidate their position at the top of the standings and justify 5/6 outright favouritism in what could be a pivotal weekend.