Enrique expects celebration of French football as PSG eye title confirmation vs Lens

  /  autty

Luis Enrique believes Wednesday's clash with Lens will be a "celebration of French football" as Paris Saint-Germain eye the point that will make their Ligue 1 title triumph official.

PSG need just one point from their final two matches to mathematically secure their 14th French top-flight title, and their fifth in a row. 

And should they pick up that point against Lens, who cannot drop any lower than second, they will be the third team this century to seal the Ligue 1 crown in a match against their eventual runners-up, following Lyon against Lens in 2001-02 (3-1) and PSG themselves against Monaco in 2017-18 (7-1).

After Sunday's narrow 1-0 win over Brest, which put PSG six points clear of Lens and with a goal difference advantage of 15, Luis Enrique declared his team were "99.99%" champions.

The Opta supercomputer concurs with that assessment, only assigning Lens a 0.01% chance of completing a remarkable turnaround.

And when the top two meet at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis, in a match that was pushed back due to PSG's run to another Champions League final, Luis Enrique expects a party atmosphere.

"Both teams arrive at a moment with identical circumstances," the Spaniard told reporters. "They have to play the final of the Coupe de France one week after the end of the league, we have the final of the Champions League two weeks after. 

"The load of minutes for tomorrow's match will be different. [Lens coach Pierre] Sage will do the same thing, I think. 

"It's a celebration of French football, with the two best teams of the season. We're going to try to show our level, Lens will too."

The PSG boss was also effusive in his praise for Sage and his team, saying: "We have to highlight what Lens have done this season. 

"Nobody at the beginning of the season imagined that. It's the first time since I've arrived here that there is a team causing us problems. 

"They deserve to be in the Champions League, congratulations to them. We will try to enjoy a very high-level match. It's a real test. Congratulations to Sage, for the way his team is playing."

Sage was named Ligue 1's coach of the season on Monday, while PSG's Ousmane Dembele was named the league's best player for the second year in a row.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Lens – Adrien Thomasson

Returning from suspension here, Thomasson has been involved in a goal on each of his last four Ligue 1 appearances at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis (one goal, three assists).

That is as many goal involvements as he managed in his previous 23 home league games for Lens (two goals, two assists).

Paris Saint-Germain – Bradley Barcola

Barcola has been involved in six Ligue 1 goals against Lens (four goals, two assists), his joint-highest tally against any opponent in the competition. 

He has also been involved in each of PSG's last five league goals against Lens (three goals, two assists).

Related: Paris Saint-Germain Lens Luis Enrique Thomasson Barcola
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