Ligue 1 week 24

Saturday:
Valenciennes v Nantes
Caen v Lorient
Le Mans v Nice
Rennes v Nancy
Auxerre v Lille
Bordeaux v Grenoble
PSG v St Etienne
Sunday:
Lyon v Le Havre
Sochaux v Toulouse
Monaco v Marseille

Game of the week this week is in the nation's capital where Paris St Germain welcome St Etienne to the Parc des Princes. Les Verts can score goals and also concede a lot of them too while PSG are in tip-top form and scoring for fun. This one promises goals and PSG are the side now emerging to challenge Lyon. Bordeaux and Marseille both have winnable games - Marseille away in the Principality where Monaco are struggling and Bordeaux at home to Grenoble who are on the slide - as they keep up their pursuit, but after a rocky time at the Gerland, how better for Lyon to prove to their home fans that they're not just an away side with a beating of Le Havre? The northerners remain rooted to the bottom despite an improved showing in recent weeks, but Lyon are breathing easier with a four-point gap back to the rest and the pressure they were under is lifted and should see Claude Puel's side batter Le Havre.

The other real challengers, Toulouse, are at Sochaux on Sunday. Les Violets' goals should see them through here against an unpredictable Sochaux. The form side in the league is Lille and they travel to Auxerre who are in trouble. A win last week for Auxerre lifted the immediate gloom surrounding the club, but they remain in big bother and Lille, chasing European football, are just the sort of side to bring it back.

Valenciennes' revival looks set to continue with a home game against Nantes. Suddenly they look the best of the bunch down at the bottom, which heaps pressure on everyone else. Nantes themselves are in danger of getting dragged into it down there and this could be a tight game. Caen are sliding down the table and a visit by Lorient isn't what they need to turn around their fortunes. Lorient have slipped a bit lately, but this looks like a banker for them. Rennes, like Lorient, are chasing a European place and they have a tough game against Nice this week that should be quite a spectacle and Rennes host Nancy with the home side looking to get back on the horse after a reverse at Le Havre last week.

There are three games in midweek as well as the fixture calendar unwinds. Le Mans host Lille and Nancy welcome Nice to the Marcel Picot, but the big one is Valenciennes v Caen by which time the home side could be out of the relegation places.