Ligue 1 week 28

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

Dismantled by a rampant Barcelona in midweek, beaten by Lille last week and seeing their lead cut to one point may have made this a poor week for fans of Les Gones, but they received a significant boost after that European disappointment with Karim Benzema confirming that he's staying with the club for next season. So often they've failed at this stage in Europe, retaining Benzema may see them able to build something around him that can get over this stumbling block and really make a European impression. In truth, the opportunity was probably greatest two or three years ago and it may never come up again. This week though, they have an eminently winnable fixture at home to Auxerre. Jean Fernandez has guided his once-struggling side to mid-table, though still just five points above the drop zone. They need more points from somewhere to remain with their heads above water, but it's difficult to see them getting any at the Gerland.

PSG moved within a point of Lyon with their impressive run of form continuing and they take on fellow challengers Marseille on Sunday in what has to be game of the week. PSG will recall Mickaël Landreau and Ludovic Giuly who were rested for their goalless draw against Braga in the UEFA Cup. Marseille welcome back striker Bakari Koné from a knee injury while Mamadou Niang should be OK after picking up a knock in the UEFA Cup win over Ajax in midweek. PSG will start as warm favourites, but this promises to be a cracker. Toulouse's win over Bordeaux last week put them right back in the title hunt and they go into a game against Monaco almost at strength. With no European distractions, they look fresher than many of their rivals, a point spectacularly highlighted in the burial of neighbours Bordeaux. Monaco need points desperately, but they're without top scorer Alexandre Licata and goalkeeper Flavio Roma among others for this one. TFC are not free scoring, despite André-Pierre Gignac's heroics, but they ought to be winning this quite comfortably. Bordeaux look to get back in the groove at home to mid-table Nice. Top scorer for Les Girondins, Fernando Cavenaghi, is out for up to six weeks, harming their chances severely. This will mean a recall for David Bellion alongside Marouane Chamakh in attacks. Nice are adrift, well clear of danger and in no danger of making the European places. And that's where they are as a club. If they made Europe, they don't have the resources to bring in the sort of player needed to make a success of it, but they're way too good to be bothered by relegation talk. It may be that this is the limit of their abilities in their current form.

The big game at the bottom sees St Etienne travel to Grenoble, although it'll be without Balise Matuidi, injured in the midweek defeat in Bremen. Grenoble just pulled away from immediate trouble in beating Caen last week, but defeat here brings them right back down and pulls Les Verts clear. Le Havre scord a morale boosting win last week, but take on resurgent Valenciennes, who have Jean-Claude Darcheville back. It looks all but impossible for Le Havre to get out of trouble, so far adrift are they, and Valenciennes are unbeaten since December. There's surely only one winner here. Nancy sit just above the drop zone after a horror run and they take on Sochaux this week. Sochaux lost to Le Havre last time out, just as it looked like they were getting out of it down at the bottom and that makes this a big, big game. Caen fell into the bottom three last week and face Lyon's conquerors and European hopefuls Lille this time out. It was November 22 when Caen last won - relegation form in anyone's language - while Lille have rediscovered form at a crucial time in the season.

Nantes have been doing it tough lately too and are now just three points above danger. They welcome Lorient to La Beaujoire-Louis Fonteneau with the visitors slipping away from the pack chasing European representation next season. Indeed, all of a sudden, rather than pushing for Europe, they're now only four points above the bottom three in a congested table. Rennes are chasing Europe and sit just off the pace at the top. They go Le Mans this week with the hosts another side that, just lately, have been dragged into a relegation battle they wouldn't have thought likely a few weeks previously. Any team from ninth (Grenoble) down that gets a win this week will move upwards significantly. Defeats are unthinkable at this crucial point of the Ligue 1 season.