French champions Paris Saint-Germain will look to continue their pursuit for immortality when they welcome Nice to the Parc des Princes on Friday.
Luis Enrique's men took one step closer to an unprecedented unbeaten Ligue 1 campaign in midweek, while ambitions of a treble will also be at the forefront of their minds.
Match preview
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The Ligue 1 title is already in the bag, but it is no secret that PSG are seeking to accomplish something no top-flight French club has ever done before.
With a Champions League semi-final against Arsenal and the Coupe de France final against Reims on the horizon, PSG are only focused at the moment on finishing the league season unbeaten, with just four games remaining.
A 1-1 draw in their rearranged fixture with Nantes on Tuesday night took them closer to that astonishing achievement, while also extending their unbeaten away run in Ligue 1 to 39 matches - the longest-ever run in one of Europe's top-five leagues.
Nantes hold the record for the longest unbeaten start to a season with 32, but despite their best efforts, holding the champions to two draws, they were unable to stop PSG in their tracks on Tuesday, as they go on to 30 matches without defeat this season,
It did end PSG's 10-game winning run in Ligue 1, but means they can still break the 90-point barrier this season with wins in their remaining four matches, a potentially remarkable achievement given that a French top-flight season has been reduced to 34 matches.
After facing a Nantes side who have become the first to avoid defeat against PSG this season, Enrique's men will now potentially face another, as Nice also held them to a 1-1 draw in October.
Moise Bombito's own goal denied Nice victory in that one, but it was not a one off, as the visitors have a very good record in this fixture.
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Despite losing in the Coupe de France here last season, Nice have won on four of their last nine visits to the Parc des Princes, including in their last league visit, winning 3-2 back in September 2023.
However, form is tailing off at the worst possible time for Franck Haise's men, who had gone on a five-game winless run before edging out Angers last weekend.
Just four points separates second and seventh in the incredible race for Champions League qualification, with any dropped points now proving to be hugely significant, so on a weekend where most of the chasing pack picked up points, it was paramount that Nice got over the line against a side battling relegation.
Haise's side start the weekend in fifth, but facing the runaway champions means they could lose ground, unless they can pull a huge performance out of the bag.
After this trip to the capital, Nice will face Reims, Rennes and Brest, three clubs all with nothing but pride left to play for, so they will hope the two-point gap between themselves and the top four does not become insurmountable by the end of the upcoming weekend.
Team News
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Enrique made eight changes to his PSG team for the trip to Nantes, picking a much stronger side compared to the one that got over the line against Le Havre a few days earlier, but this XI could look similar to the one that took to the field last Saturday.
Arsenal have the weekend off, so ahead of their semi-final on Tuesday, Enrique will want to keep as many of his players as fresh as possible, meaning Ousmane Dembele, Nuno Mendes and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, as well as their impressive midfield trio, can expect a rest.
Lucas Beraldo, Warren Zaire-Emery and Lee Kang-in were the only survivors for the trip to Nantes, and will not start against Arsenal, so may find themselves in the XI again, while Enrique could hand starts to teenage duo Ibrahim Mbaye and Senny Mayulu once more.
Nice defender Bombito will not have the opportunity to make amends for his own goal from the reverse fixture, as he will miss this trip to the capital with a wrist injury.
After recent returns from injury for Terem Moffi and Morgan Sanson, Tanguy Ndombele remains the only other Nice absentee at present, with the midfielder sidelined due to a groin issue.
The form of Ali Abdi has forced Melvin Bard to move back into the Nice back three, with the incoming left wing-back finding the net in both of his last two starts, including the important second goal on Sunday against Angers.
Paris Saint-Germain possible starting lineup:
Safonov; Hakimi, Lucas Beraldo, Hernandez, Mbaye; Zaire-Emery, Mayulu, Lee; Doue, Goncalo Ramos, Barcola
Nice possible starting lineup:
Bulka; Abdelmonem, Ndayishimiye, Bard; Clauss, Boudaoui, Rosario, Abdi; Guessand, Laborde, Boga
We say: Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 Nice
Despite recently securing the title, sitting 23 points clear at the top, and still being unbeaten this season, PSG have not been convincing in the league recently, only narrowly getting the better of Le Havre and Angers, as well as drawing at Nantes, so while they should extend their exceptional run, it could be close.
Nice have a good record here, winning at the Parc des Princes last season, and they certainly have the quality to cause PSG some problems, but they may come up narrowly short.
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Andrew Delaney
