PSG and Lille face each other on Sunday evening in a top game for the championship lead.

Deprived of Neymar, the Parisians must make forget their season in sawtooth, while Lille, very in form, plunged into the unknown following the sale of the club by its owner Gérard Lopez. 

It's the shock of this 16th day of Ligue 1. Sunday, at 9 p.m., Lille (1st with 32 pts) and Paris SG (2nd with 31 pts) compete for the first place in the championship, at the Pierre- Mauroy.

A top match therefore, during which the two teams will both try to reassure themselves: the PSG by trying to distance a competitor for the increasingly ambitious title, and the LOSC to dispel the concerns arising from the change of shareholder. 

Without Neymar, PSG have a lot to lose

Triple defending champion, PSG is facing fiercer competition this year than usual.

Less sovereign than usual, with their worst start since 2012-2013, the players of the capital have already been beaten at home by OM and Lyon this season. 

It is therefore Paris that has the most to lose during this shock in the North.

If Wednesday's success against Lorient (2-0) made us somewhat forget Sunday's defeat against OL (0-1), the Parisians are nonetheless going through a delicate pass.

"We need a little vacation", admitted coach Thomas Tuchel on Saturday, judging his players "mentally tired".

But his men will have to do without their star Neymar.

The Brazilian, author of 7 goals in his last five appearances, has not recovered from his sprained left ankle suffered against Lyon, and his recovery is not expected before January.

All eyes will therefore be on the other superstar Kylian Mbappé, while PSG can also count on the return of their captain Marquinhos, after a hip injury.

It is up to them to lead Paris to victory, and to avoid a defeat which would accentuate the doubts two months before a high-risk Champions League round of 16 against FC Barcelona.

Sold, Lille has plunged into the unknown 

On the Lille side, the sporting dynamic is more than positive.

The Mastiffs, first in the standings, remain on three consecutive successes in the league, and share with PSG the status of best defense in Ligue 1. But for the coach Christophe Galtier, no question of bulging the chest.

"We are at a time of the year when it is physically difficult", he warned, announcing a duel between two "tired teams".

Above all, in recent days, Losc has suffered an unexpected governance crisis.

Financially cornered, the owner Gérard Lopez was forced to sell the club four years after taking power to the investment fund Merlyn Partners, which replaced him by the former Parisian sports director Olivier Létang, new CEO of Losc.

On paper, this transition seems to be going smoothly since the technical staff and in particular coach Christophe Galtier are not affected by these upheavals.

It remains to be seen whether the Lille players will not be disturbed when they challenge PSG and whether the workforce will not be upset during the next transfer window.

"We will stay the course, I will be the guarantor of a certain attitude. We will continue to move forward", assured Christophe Galtier in any case.