Could PSG really be beaten to Ligue 1 title?
PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain have won seven of the last eight Ligue 1 titles but there is a real chance this season that the Qatar-owned club could miss out on a prize that usually seems destined for them even before a ball has been kicked.
A year ago this weekend the 2019/20 season was halted because of the Covid-19 pandemic, never to restart. With 10 rounds left unplayed, PSG were 12 points clear of Marseille in second with a game in hand, and were eventually named champions.
This time around the capital club are second with 10 matches remaining, trailing leaders Lille by two points and sitting one point above Lyon in third.
Mauricio Pochettino’s team are through to the Champions League quarter-finals, but their domestic form has given hope to their rivals.
So will they overhaul Lille and see off Lyon, as well as Monaco in fourth, to retain the trophy?
A home meeting with struggling Nantes tomorrow should not cause many problems for Paris, who could have Neymar back after a month out.
Yet PSG’s form against their title rivals has not convinced. They drew at Lille, lost at home to Lyon and have been beaten twice by Monaco.
Much will therefore come down to their next two league games after this weekend, with a trip to Lyon followed by a home game against Lille.
“We know we have 10 matches left, and with the head to heads we will be champions if we win all these games,” Pochettino pointed out last week.
Meanwhile Christophe Galtier’s Lille are unbeaten in 10 games but tomorrow they go to Monaco, who are fourth and had gone 12 unbeaten before losing at Strasbourg last time out.
Lille also still have to visit Lyon, whose coach Rudi Garcia was in charge of the northerners in their last title-winning campaign a decade ago.
However, Lyon’s best form recently has come away, and their
primary objective remains holding off Monaco to secure a top-three place after missing out on the Champions League this season.
In the meantime, PSG’s firepower means they remain the favourites, but it is refreshing that for once they have not run away with the Ligue 1 title.
JOHOR Darul Ta’zim (JDT) owner Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim said he is not a businessman and he invests in football for his love for the game.
Following news that he might take over Spanish La Liga club Valencia CF, Tunku Ismail commented on the issue on Twitter.
“I have a lot of friends in football but no one knows my plans or intention.
“The first people who will know are my team and the respective fans. The fans deserve to know because it’s your club, your city. I can own shares but the club belongs to the fans, I’m just the custodian.
“It’s my personal opinion as a matter of principle, especially as a foreigner and if I become a shareholder.
“My responsibility is to ensure the club performs at its best because of the club’s rich history and where it should belong, so that the people of the city can be proud.
“First of all, I’m not a businessman. Why would I waste my money and spend it in a foreign land?
“If I do it, it is strictly for a challenge and project that I believe in. Pure passion, pure love for the game and pure determination,” said Tunku Ismail.
However, in response to media reports, Valencia president Anil Murthy recently said Peter Lim, the Singaporean billionaire businessman who owns the Spanish club, has no intention of selling the Bats.
Fikri Fauzi is hungry for goals.
And he hopes to score more than the 10 goals he recorded with Perak last season for his new club, Selangor.
The 26-year-old has so far scored one goal in two matches for the Red Giants.
The striker scored in the 3-1 win over Sri Pahang in their opening Super League match.
Shahrel hopes to make it count when the Red Giants face Kuala Lumpur City in today’s Klang Valley derby.
Selangor will be gunning for revenge following their defeat on penalties to KL in the Caring Club recently.
“We know that KL have a lot of experienced players. However,
Selangor need to bounce back from their recent 3-1 defeat to Terengganu by collecting three points tomorrow,” said Shahrel yesterday.
“We have lost one player in midfielder Halim Saari, who will be out for several months after sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament against Terengganu.
“Sadly, we have lost him, but we need to adjust and beat KL.”
Shahrel said Selangor are still trying to adapt to coach Karsten Neitzel’s tactics.
“We are still learning. It is normal as every team had a short preseason. But we will get there soon.
“As a striker, I want to maintain my performance by scoring regularly for the club.”
Selangor met KL twice in the 2019 season, with the former winning both encounters.