- Paris Saint-Germain is set to face its closest competitor, RC Lens, on Wednesday, May 13th, in a rescheduled fixture from Ligue 1’s 29th round.
- This pivotal encounter offers the capital club the chance to secure an unprecedented fifth consecutive French championship title.
Is Paris Saint-Germain on track for a domestic double? Having already secured a spot in the Champions League final for the second consecutive year, the Parc des Princes residents have an opportunity to clinch their first trophy of the season this Wednesday, May 13th. Holding a commanding lead in the league standings with 73 points, the Parisians travel to face Lens (67 points), who have enjoyed an exceptional season and currently sit in a solid second place. This crucial match, kicking off at 9 PM, is a makeup game from Ligue 1’s 29th jornada.
Paris Saint-Germain could become only the third team this century to mathematically clinch the Ligue 1 title in a direct confrontation with their closest challenger. This feat was previously achieved by Lyon against Lens in 2001/02 (3-1) and by PSG themselves facing Monaco in 2017/18 (7-1). Anticipation builds.
The capital club, aiming for its 14th overall title in the competition and a remarkable fifth in a row, has a golden opportunity to further etch its name in history. They could become only the third team in the 21st century to be mathematically crowned champions during a match against their direct runner-up, a feat previously accomplished by Lyon in the 2001-2002 season and by PSG itself in 2017-2018.
A draw or victory will officially crown Paris as champions
To lift the trophy as early as this Wednesday, Luis Enrique’s squad simply needs to avoid defeat. A draw at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis, a venue where the northern side has suffered only two losses this season, would be enough to secure their triumph. With 74 points, they would become unreachable before the final matchday on Sunday, May 17th, as Lens would then have 68 points. Following the same logic, a Parisian victory would also seal the championship’s fate, widening their lead even further.
A commanding goal difference provides a significant advantage
Conversely, to maintain even a faint glimmer of hope, Lens absolutely must secure a victory on their home turf against a Parisian side weakened by injuries, with key players such as Willian Pacho, Nuno Mendes, Warren Zaïre-Emery, Lee Kang-In, Achraf Hakimi, and Lucas Chevalier all sidelined. Should Lens win, Pierre Sage’s squad, whose coach was recently named Ligue 1’s Coach of the Year, would reduce the deficit to three points, reaching 70 points against PSG’s 73. This would theoretically allow them to draw level on points on the 38th and final matchday, provided circumstances align perfectly (and notably, if PSG were to lose their derby against Paris FC).
However, even this improbable scenario is unlikely to prevent Marquinhos’ teammates from claiming another title, given their substantial goal difference advantage (+44 compared to Lens’ +29). This metric serves as the tie-breaker in case of an equal points tally. In essence, even a defeat for Paris Saint-Germain would likely not see them relinquish the top spot, unless their rival manages to overcome the significant 15-goal difference separating the two teams.
Parisian coach Luis Enrique acknowledged this after his team’s 1-0 victory against Brest, stating, «We must commend Lens for their performance throughout the season; they’ve played at an incredible level, making it very challenging for us,» but added, «we are already champions, 99.9%.» The question remains whether that percentage will hit 100% this Wednesday, or if the wait will extend to the final weekend of competition.
