Aiming to put an end to a three-game winless streak in Ligue 1, champions-elect Paris Saint-Germain travel to the Stade de la Mosson on Sunday, where Montpellier HSC will be their hosts.
The visitors have shared the spoils in their last three games in the top flight, while Michel Der Zakarian's men put another dent in Nice's European aspirations last weekend.
Match preview
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Such is the congested nature of the 18-team Ligue 1 standings that only six points separate second-from-bottom Metz and 11th-placed Toulouse, with Montpellier HSC languishing in the middle of the bottom half and firmly embroiled in the demotion scrap heading into the final straight.
Der Zakarian's side enter the weekend with their heads above water, though, having become the latest team to capitalise on Nice's downfall with a 2-1 win at the Allianz Riviera thanks to a Jean-Clair Todibo own goal and Teji Savanier spot kick either side of Jeremie Boga's leveller.
Boasting a respectable seven points from their last four Ligue 1 contests - in which they have also hit Metz for three and shared the spoils with Strasbourg in a 2-2 stalemate - La Paillade are residing in 13th place in the table, albeit with just a one-point gap to Nantes in the relegation playoff spot.
Now on six goals and as many assists for the Ligue 1 campaign, captain fantastic Savanier is once again proving integral to Montpellier's fight against the drop with direct involvements in four of his last six fixtures, helping Der Zakarian's men embark on a seven-match scoring run in all tournaments.
However, just two of the hosts' 13 matches at the Stade de la Mosson in the 2023-24 Ligue 1 season have seen Montpellier win, while another eight have ended level; only Serie A outfit Udinese - with nine - have drawn more home fixtures in Europe's top five leagues this season.
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Montpellier's affinity for stalemates at home will not be music to the ears of Luis Enrique's PSG, who make the long trip south on the back of three straight draws in the top flight, sharing the spoils with Rennes, Monaco and most recently Reims, where there was another twist to the Kylian Mbappe selection saga.
After a couple of early substitutions, the Real Madrid-bound striker was cut from the first XI entirely by Enrique - who subsequently confirmed his imminent departure - and the Spaniard's bold decision backfired as Will Still's Reims stole a point in a 2-2 draw.
However, with closest challengers Brest going down to Lens last weekend, Les Parisiens boast an insurmountable 10-point advantage at the summit of the Ligue 1 table and are now Coupe de France semi-finalists too, having strode past Nice 3-1 in Wednesday's quarter-final.
Before March 31's Classique with Marseille and April's Champions League quarter-final with Barcelona take precedence, PSG bid to avoid their longest winless run in a single Ligue 1 season since a streak of four in May 2018, but their head-to-head with Montpellier makes for highly pleasant reading.
Indeed, the capital giants are on a nine-match winning sequence against La Paillade in Ligue 1, which also represents the hosts' longest losing run against a single opponent in the competition, and Enrique's men experienced few obstacles en route to a 3-0 home triumph over Der Zakarian's side earlier this term.
Team News
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Montpellier's beating of Nice was not without sacrifice, as full-back Silvan Hefti was taken off after just 13 minutes with a thigh injury, while Joris Chotard took a blow to the calf and was substituted at half time.
Both men will reportedly miss the visit of the champions as a result, but Der Zakarian has ready-made replacements in the form of Enzo Tchato and Leo Leroy, who will slot into right-back and midfield roles respectively.
Jordanian winger Mousa Tamari is also uncertain due to illness, while Axel Gueguin is a long-term absentee - the 18-year-old has injured his ACL and will not play again this season.
As for the champions, PSG confirmed before the cup win over Nice that Marquinhos's Achilles injury will sideline him until after the international break, and his fellow centre-backs Presnel Kimpembe (also Achilles) and Milan Skriniar (ankle) will not play this weekend either.
Marco Asensio (hamstring), Layvin Kurzawa (back) and Sergio Rico (head trauma) are also on Enrique's unavailable list, but the Parisiens boss can still afford to make wholesale changes from the side that saw off Les Aiglons.
Bradley Barcola, Achraf Hakimi and Manuel Ugarte are in line for recalls to the XI, and having left Mbappe on the field for the full 90 in midweek, it will be fascinating to see whether Enrique selects the departing Frenchman from the off just four days later.
Montpellier HSC possible starting lineup:
Lecomte; Tchato, Omeragic, Kouyate, Sylla; Leroy, Ferri; Nordin, Savanier, Adams; Khazri
Paris Saint-Germain possible starting lineup:
Donnarumma; Hakimi, Hernandez, Beraldo, Mendes; Zaire-Emery, Ugarte, Lee; Dembele, Mbappe, Barcola
We say: Montpellier HSC 1-3 Paris Saint-Germain
Montpellier are always capable of troubling opposition backlines in Savanier territory, but with three new concerns for Der Zakarian to factor in for Sunday's visit of the champions, there should be little for La Paillade to celebrate.
Even though Montpellier love a draw at home, and PSG have been guilty of not converting one point into three in recent weeks, the visitors seldom slip up against their hosts and ought to return to winning ways in Ligue 1 in emphatic fashion.
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Ben Knapton
