• Paris Saint-Germain is scheduled to play its delayed 29th Ligue 1 fixture against its closest competitor, RC Lens, this Wednesday, May 13.
• On this occasion, the club from the capital could secure its fifth consecutive French championship title.

Is Paris Saint-Germain on track for a domestic double? Having already qualified for the Champions League final for the second successive year, the residents of Parc des Princes now have the opportunity to secure their first major trophy of the season this Wednesday, May 13. Holding a commanding lead in the league with 73 points, the Parisian squad will travel to face Lens (kick-off 9 PM), who have enjoyed an outstanding season themselves, currently sitting in a solid second place with 67 points, in a catch-up match from the 29th league round. 

The capital club, pursuing its 14th overall title in the competition and a remarkable fifth in a row, has a golden chance to etch its name further into history. It could become only the third team in the 21st century to mathematically clinch the Ligue 1 championship during a direct encounter with its runner-up, a feat previously achieved by Lyon in the 2001-2002 season and by PSG itself in 2017-2018. 

A draw or victory secures the championship for Paris

To claim the coveted trophy as early as this Wednesday, Luis Enrique’s squad simply needs to avoid defeat. A draw at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis, a venue where the northern team has suffered only two losses this season, would be enough for them to celebrate. With 74 points, they would be beyond reach in the final standings, as Lens would then have 68 points before the ultimate matchday on Sunday, May 17. Similarly, a victory for Paris would also definitively seal the championship, establishing an even wider points gap. 

Goal difference provides a significant advantage

Conversely, to maintain even a sliver of hope, Lens must secure a home victory against a Parisian side currently weakened by several injuries, including Willian Pacho, Nuno Mendes, Warren Zaïre-Emery, Lee Kang-In, Achraf Hakimi, and Lucas Chevalier. Should Lens triumph, the players under Pierre Sage, who was recently named Ligue 1’s coach of the year, would narrow the gap to three points behind their opponents, reaching 70 points. This scenario would theoretically allow them to draw level on points on the 38th and final matchday, provided the stars align (and PSG suffers a loss in the derby against Paris FC).

However, even this improbable sequence of events is unlikely to prevent Marquinhos and his teammates from lifting another title, given their substantial goal difference advantage (+44 compared to Lens’s +29). This crucial factor serves as the tie-breaker in case of equal points. In essence, even a defeat might not cost Paris Saint-Germain the top spot, unless their rival manages to overcome the significant 15-goal difference separating the two clubs. 

Parisian coach Luis Enrique acknowledged this after his team’s 1-0 victory over Brest. He stated, “We must acknowledge what Lens has achieved all season; they have performed at an incredible level, making it very difficult for us,” but added, “we are already champions, 99.9%.” The question now remains whether that percentage will hit a full 100% this Wednesday, or if the wait will extend until the final weekend of the competition.