PSG still confident of claiming Ligue 1 crown
Reuters - Thursday 01 March 2012, 09:52
Despite surrendering their
Ligue 1 lead last weekend, Paris Saint-Germain believe they can
still win their first French football title since 1994.
"We're not always at our best but there is not much that
could prevent us from becoming champions," defender Christophe
Jallet told a news conference on Wednesday.
PSG, who have drawn their last three league matches,
snatched a last-gasp, 4-4 draw at Olympique Lyon last Sunday
after showing great character in a dramatic encounter at Gerland
stadium.
The Paris side, who entertain strugglers AC Ajaccio on
Sunday lie second in the standings with 52 points
from 25 games, one point adrift of Montpellier, who travel to
Dijon on Saturday.
"Something happened in Lyon. Equalising in the very last
minute in such an important game means a lot," said Jallet. "We
gained some extra mental strength."
He admitted, however, that there was little room for error
with 13 games left in the Ligue 1 season.
"I hope this collective strength will help us excel because
the final sprint is about to start and we can't drop many more
points, especially at home," he said.
Montpellier will have the chance to extend their lead to
four points, at least temporarily, as they play a day before
their closest rivals, but they may have to deal with the absence
of Younes Belhanda.
The Morocco midfielder left his national team earlier this
week ahead of a friendly game against Burkina Faso, citing
muscular fatigue.
Montpellier will also be without Ligue 1 top striker Olivier
Giroud, who is suspended for the game.
Champions Lille, seven points off the pace in third place,
host second-from-bottom AJ Auxerre on Saturday hoping to
keep alive their slim title chances.
"I played them this season when I was at Stade Brest," Lille
striker Nolan Roux, who joined from the Brittany side during the
January transfer window, said on the club's website.
"They like to sit back and wait and stab you on counter-attacks. But we now need three points in every home game."
Olympique Marseille, in eighth place with a game in hand,
will have no choice but to beat seventh-placed Toulouse on
Saturday if they are to stand a chance of playing in the
Champions League next season.
They trail Lille, who occupy the Champions League play-off
spot, by seven points.