Ligue 1 Preview: Paris Saint-Germain v Rennes

Paris Saint-Germain will win a second straight Ligue 1 title if they beat relegation-threatened Rennes at Parc des Princes on Wednesday.

Laurent Blanc’s men missed the chance to secure the French top-flight crown when they were held to a 1-1 draw at Sochaux last week.

The capital club lead second-placed Monaco by eight points ahead of the visit of Philippe Montanier’s side, and will be able to celebrate another championship with three points against a team that suffered disappointment in the Coupe de France final last Saturday.

Rennes were beaten 2-0 by Brittany rivals Guingamp in the Stade de France showpiece, losing to their neighbours in the final for the second time in five years after succumbing to a 2-1 loss in 2009.

And Montanier’s men will need to quickly recover from the agony of missing out on silverware in order to make sure of their Ligue 1 status.

Rennes are just three points above the drop zone with as many games remaining and could yet see their 20-year stay in the top tier of French football brought to an end.

The visitors will look to replicate their performance in the capital last season that saw them claim a 2-1 win despite being reduced to nine men.

But PSG have not lost at home in the league since that shock defeat in November 2012, and could be boosted by the return of Zlatan Ibrahimovic from a hamstring injury that has kept him out of the last six games.

The Sweden captain has returned to training and will have designs on adding to his tally of 40 goals in all competitions this season.

Ibrahimovic’s prospective comeback will leave Blanc with a fully-fit squad to choose from, and Rennes’ only doubt ahead of the clash is left-back Cheikh M’Bengue (thigh).

A PSG slip-up would allow Monaco to keep the title race alive, although Blanc’s men will win the league regardless of their result if Claudio Ranieri’s side fail to beat cup winners Guingamp on Wednesday.

Guingamp are only a point above the bottom three and will be eyeing a third consecutive win in all competitions to enhance their chances of staying up.

Jocelyn Gourvennec’s men knocked out Monaco on the way to the final, and will need to be wary of a Prinicipality club sure to be eyeing revenge after Guingamp denied them the chance to win some silverware.

Defender Jonathan Martins Pereira – goalscorer in the cup final for Guingamp – is suspended, while Monaco will be without defender Layvin Kurzawa (hamstring) and forward Lucas Ocampos (illness).