Paris (AFP)

Lille will try to Montpellier to forget his European campaign and secure his third place in Ligue 1, Friday (20:45) on the 18th day, marked by the displacement of Paris SG in Saint-Etienne Sunday evening (21:00).

The last of a group raised and eliminated in November, the men of Christophe Galtier concluded their career in the Champions League by a defeat in Chelsea Tuesday (2-1). The dynamic is very different in the league where Lille have chained three consecutive victories.

But the Dogues are only one point ahead of Rennes (4th) and two Bordeaux (5th) and Nantes (6th). To increase his chances of staying on the podium against Montpellier (10th), Galtier has preserved his frames during the game without issue at the Blues.

In Saint-Etienne, Claude Puel also turned in the Europa League on Thursday for the shock against Paris. The Stephanois (8th), who live a difficult December after an excellent autumn, will need their usual holders against the Parisians, led by Neymar, author of a recital against Galatasaray Wednesday (5-0). PSG side, it will avoid the release as early November and "the accident" in Dijon (2-1 defeat) after wide success against Bruges and OM.

Qualified also for the knockout stages of C1, but much more laboriously, the Lyonnais receive Rennes. What will be the reception on Sunday (17:00) by fans after the strong tensions at the end of the match against Leipzig (2-2)? Beaten home against Lille ten days ago (1-0) and only seventh, the players of Rudi Garcia do not have the right to a new misstep, under penalty of sinking a little deeper into the crisis on and off the field.

Among the other meetings, the dolphin Marseille has Saturday (17:30) a shift a priori favorable to Metz, in position of barrage and who has not won since October 19. Bordeaux, beaten by OM at the Vélodrome (3-1) last Sunday, will be wary Sunday (15:00) of Strasbourg, inconstant but author of 13 goals in five games.

The program of the 18th day of Ligue 1:

Friday

(8:45 pm) Lille - Montpellier

Saturday

(5:30 pm) Metz - Marseille

(8 pm) Nîmes - Nantes

Brest - Nice

Angers - Monaco

Amiens - Dijon

Toulouse - Reims

Sunday

(3 pm) Bordeaux - Strasbourg

(5 pm) Lyon - Rennes

(9 pm) Saint-Etienne - Paris SG

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