Nice provide warm-up for PSG CL hopefuls
Lyon to keep the pressure on Fekir
Paris Saint-Germain will warm up for their Champions League date with Manchester City by entertaining high-flying Nice at the Parc des Princes in Ligue 1 on Saturday. PSG wrapped up a fourth consecutive French title in record time last month, leaving them to focus all their energy on their other objectives, in particular their quest for European glory.
They were beaten 2-0 by Monaco two weeks ago in their first match since securing the title, the result ending an unbeaten home league record going back almost two years, and coach Laurent Blanc will be eager to avoid another setback.
English outfit City arrive in the French capital for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final next Wednesday, so Blanc has a decision to
make over whether to rest some of his many players who have been away on international duty.
Former Manchester United man Angel Di Maria, for one, could be rested after picking up a knock playing for Argentina, while Marco Verratti remains on the sidelines with a groin injury.
However, Ivory Coast right-back Serge Aurier could feature for the first time since being banished to the reserves in February after insulting Blanc in a video on social media.
“He is back with the squad. He must be considered as a member of the squad, nothing more and nothing less,” Blanc told France Info on Thursday, before insisting that the matter was now closed.
“I wasn’t shocked. Nothing shocks me anymore, but I was mad. Honestly, I think the boy didn’t think about what he was saying. I have said what I had to say to him.”
Nice will provide a stern test, with Claude Puel’s side third in the table and targeting an unlikely Champions League place for next season.
They have been propelled this season by the spectacular talent of Hatem Ben Arfa, who has promised to offer his own tribute to the late Johan Cruyff by pulling off the legendary Cruyff turn against the champions.
“I think I can’t do anything other than try it in our next match,” Ben Arfa told France Football.
“I have always had a weakness for those who dare, create, invent. That’s what Cruyff did. He invented the idea of freedom out on the pitch.”
While Nice look to stay ahead of the chasing pack in the battle to finish on the podium, their Cote d’Azur rivals Monaco threaten to run away with second spot and automatic qualification for next season’s Champions League group stage.
The principality club are five points ahead of Nice before hosting Bordeaux at the Stade Louis II on Friday, with coach Leonardo Jardim batting away criticism of his team’s playing style.
“The quality of our game? That always depends on the people watching,” said Jardim this week, and the Portuguese coach’s results speak for themselves, with Monaco unbeaten in eight league games and having suffered one defeat in 18.