Montpellier has a chance to unseat Bordeaux at the top of the
French league when it travels to play the reigning champion on
Sunday.
Bordeaux and Montpellier have 51 points each after 26 rounds
and are two points clear of third-place Lyon.
Montpellier's task will not be easy since Bordeaux has the
tightest defense in the league and has occupied first place since
last October.
But the promoted team will rely on Colombian forward Victor
Hugo Montano's finishing touch and Argentine midfielder Alberto
Costa's pinpoint freekicks to crack the Bordeaux defense.
Although it is a high-stakes match on paper, some Montpellier
players don't feel any pressure.
"Quite frankly we're having a fantastic season," Montpellier
goalkeeper Geoffrey Jourdren said. "We will go there with no
pressure. We will try to play our game like we usually do every
weekend. We won't give anything away and then we will see. That
match is like an extra bonus."
The pressure will instead be on Bordeaux, whose lead has
shrunk significantly.
"The pace of the first five teams is quite high," Bordeaux
coach Laurent Blanc said. "We must keep pace and not lose any
ground."
Montpellier could be facing a rusty Bordeaux side since the
defending champion had its last two league matches postponed.
When the two teams met in December, Bordeaux won 1-0 away.
Marseille could make up ground in the title race if it earns
a fifth straight win in the league by defeating Lorient at Stade
Velodrome.
"We're stretching our winning streak, that's important for
the rest of the season," Marseille midfielder Benoit Cheyrou said.
"When you win, things get easier mentally."
In-form striker Mamadou Niang will lead Marseille up front.
Niang is the top scorer in the league with 14 goals and notched the
opener in Senegal's 2-0 win over Greece in a friendly on Wednesday.
Marseille is in fourth place with 48 points, while Lorient is
ninth on 39 points.
"The challenge is to take 42 points to reassure ourselves,"
Lorient forward Sigamary Diarra said. "The 42 points are what will
allow us to play the remaining matches with serenity."
Kevin Gameiro and Marama Vahirua are back in the Lorient
squad after missing the match against Sochaux last weekend because
of injuries. The pair have combined for 18 goals in the league this
season.
Lyon will climb a place in the standings with a victory at
Boulogne on Saturday.
Lyon is a different team from the one that struggled badly
before the winter break.
"It will be a long sprint until the end," Lyon coach Claude
Puel said. "I feel that our squad is making progress both mentally
and in the development of our play."
Lyon was in sixth place after 19 rounds, trailing Bordeaux by
13 points. But since the winter break, it has been on a seven-game
unbeaten run, taking 19 points out of a possible 21 to move into
third place.
"The string of good results is bringing us some confidence,"
Puel said.
Second-bottom Boulogne is fighting relegation, has the worst
defense in the league and lost its last four league matches. Yet,
it is not afraid of facing an in-form Lyon side.
"It's very motivating to play against this team," Boulogne
coach Laurent Guyot said. "We have nothing to lose. It's up to us
to trouble them."
Also on Saturday, it's: Auxerre vs. Valenciennes; Lens vs.
Paris Saint-Germain; Nice vs. Nancy; Rennes vs. Monaco; Sochaux vs.
Toulouse; and Saint-Etienne vs. Lille.
On Sunday, Grenoble hosts Le Mans.
