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Sports

PSG on the cusp of Ligue 1 title

By Sports Network
Published | Updated

Paris, France – Paris Saint-Germain are ready to be crowned champions of France, all the capital club needs is 90 more minutes of solid football, and a little help.

PSG is currently nine points clear at the top of the table with four matches to play.

Should they take all three points at the Parc des Princes on Sunday against Valenciennes, and second-place Marseille fails to win, Les Parisiens will clinch their first domestic title since the 1993-94 season.

Last time out, PSG battled for a 1-0 win over Evian, but tempers flared in the final few minutes and as a result, PSG will be without several key members of the squad for this weekend's potential title-winning match.

Goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu will be unavailable after receiving a two- match ban, while David Beckham was handed a one-match suspension for a late red card against Evian, which will force the former England captain to miss a chance to be on the field to celebrate a domestic title in a fourth different country.

In addition to Sirigu and Beckham, midfielder Marco Verratti will also be unavailable after being dismissed against Evian.

Despite being a bit shorthanded, PSG players and coaches alike know what is at stake this weekend.

"We still have three more points to win," explained manager Carlo Ancelotti after the win against Evian. "I hope we'll get them in our next game against Valenciennes. We have to prepare well because it could be a great celebration with our supporters."

Midfielder Blaise Matuidi and forward Javier Pastore both echoed their coach's sentiments:

"We are very close to the title," Matuidi told the club's official website. "We have to win against Valenciennes to celebrate at the Parc des Princes. That would be magic."

"We still need one more win and we hope to get it on Sunday and win the championship at home," declared Pastore. "We want to celebrate this season we've had with everyone."

Marseille, meanwhile, will be hoping to delay PSG's title celebration when they take on Bastia at the Velodrome on Saturday.

Also on Saturday, Montpellier battles Brest, Sochaux hosts Lorient, Reims welcomes Ajaccio, Toulouse battles Lille and Troyes wraps up the day with a home date with Evian.

In addition to PSG's tilt with Valenciennes, Sunday's Ligue 1 slate sees Rennes welcome Nice and Nancy play host to Lyon.

In Friday's lone fixture, St Etienne and Bordeaux played to a 0-0 draw at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard. Les Verts remain in fourth place with 59 points, while Bordeaux rises to eighth place with 49 points.