Requiring just a point on Saturday night to seal Ligue 1 title number 11, Paris Saint-Germain head to the Stade de la Meinau for a date with Strasbourg in the penultimate gameweek of the 2022-23 season.
Their hosts are in a similar predicament, albeit at the other end of the table, as a draw would ensure that Les Coureurs will remain in the big time for the 2023-24 campaign.
Match preview
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It was a day for stunning strikes and ill discipline when Strasbourg took on a doomed Troyes side in last weekend's bottom-half battle, where a rocket of a Habib Diarra strike preceded a straight red card for Troyes goalkeeper Gauthier Gallon for a handball outside the box.
However, the playing field was soon levelled as Alexander Djiku was sent for an early bath after a last-man foul, and from the resulting free kick, Troyes attacker Rony Lopes found the top corner with panache to steal a point for already-relegated ESTAC.
Despite failing to assure themselves of safety at the Stade de l'Aube, Nantes' crushing defeat at the hands of Montpellier HSC means that 15th-placed Strasbourg are six points clear of the drop zone with just two games remaining, and only one point is required from their final two fixtures with PSG and Lorient to assure themselves of another season in the top tier.
Even if Strasbourg come up short against the champions-elect, their survival will be confirmed if Nantes fail to leave Lille's Stade Pierre-Mauroy with anything to show for their efforts, and Frederic Antonetti's side appear to be peaking at the right time with four wins from their last six Ligue 1 contests.
Furthermore, five of Strasbourg's last seven home contests have ended in victory - albeit against sides they mostly would have expected to defeat - and they have found the back of the net in each of their last 10 Ligue 1 matches, hardly a reassuring statistic for a ravaged PSG defence.
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Les Parisiens's success over Auxerre last weekend was not pretty by any stretch of the imagination, but Kylian Mbappe's two strikes were, as the Golden Boot-chasing Frenchman notched a fine eight-minute brace to ostensibly spark a goal rush at the Stade de l'Abbe Deschamps.
It did not pan out that way for Christophe Galtier's charges, though, as Gianluigi Donnarumma allowed Lassine Sinayoko's low effort to go under him and into the back of the net, but the visitors clung onto their slender lead to put themselves on the brink of retaining their customary crown.
With Marseille now out of the title picture, only Lens can spoil the Parisiens' party, but Les Sang et Or are six points behind the table-toppers with just two games left to play, and a solitary point from PSG's final two fixtures from Strasbourg and Clermont will do the trick.
Even if the unthinkable happens and Galtier's side suffer back-to-back losses, their astonishing +50 goal difference - compared to Lens' +34 - ought to prove telling, and the capital outfit travel to the Stade de la Meinau searching for a seventh straight away win in the French top flight.
PSG left it until the 96th minute to see off Strasbourg 2-1 at the Parc des Princes in December, with Mbappe scoring a penalty right at the death, and their trip to the Stade de la Meinau last year ended in a thrilling 3-3 draw, but their unbeaten run against Les Coureurs stands at 11 games ahead of their expected title coronation.
Team News
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Following his red card in the draw with Troyes, Strasbourg captain Djiku has been slapped with a one-game suspension and must sit out the visit of the champions, so Gerzino Nyamsi should deputise in the hosts' five-man backline.
Donning a protective mask after suffering a broken nose, left-back Eduard Sobol is now available for the weekend alongside Thomas Delaine, but Eiji Kawashima (shoulder) remains in the infirmary.
With neither Sobol nor Delaine in peak condition, Antonetti's left-back crisis could go from bad to worse if a back injury keeps Frederic Guilbert out, but the Strasbourg coach expects the former Aston Villa man to shake off the problem in time for Saturday's game; PSG loanee Colin Dagba may start against his parent club if need be.
Similarly, the visitors must also work around a defensive suspension as Achraf Hakimi serves the second of a two-game ban for his red card against Ajaccio, so teenage starlet Warren Zaire-Emery ought to be given the nod at right wing-back once more.
The quartet of Neymar (ankle), Nordi Mukiele (hamstring), Presnel Kimpembe (Achilles) and Nuno Mendes (hamstring) will not play again this season, while Hugo Ekitike (hamstring) and Fabian Ruiz (adductor) have been ruled out with issues sustained in the win over Auxerre, and Marquinhos is also missing due to a groin concern.
A few more eyebrows were raised when Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Marco Verratti also sat out practice for unexplained reasons, but there is nothing to suggest that the trio will not be involved on Saturday night.
Strasbourg possible starting lineup:
Sels; Doukoure, Nyamsi, Le Marchand, Perrin, Guilbert; Diarra, Sissoko, Sanson, Bellegarde; Diallo
Paris Saint-Germain possible starting lineup:
Donnarumma; Pembele, Pereira, Ramos; Zaire-Emery, Sanches, Vitinha, Verratti, Bernat; Messi, Mbappe
We say: Strasbourg 1-2 Paris Saint-Germain
A spate of fresh injuries will certainly threaten to derail PSG's title train this weekend, but Strasbourg are hardly in tip-top shape at the back either and must work around the absence of their captain against the most potent attack that France has to offer.
With the hosts failing to win any of their 17 games in which they have conceded first this season, another early goal or two for PSG could seal the title, and there may be jubilation for both sets of supporters if results go Strasbourg's way in the relegation dogfight.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Ben Knapton
