Ligue 1 preview: Change at the top?

Paris St Germain can go top of France’s Ligue 1 on Saturday, but it could be a brief stay with league-leaders Lille set to play on Sunday.

Antoine Kombouare’s Paris St Germain trail Lille by just one point and on Saturday host Monaco, who are battling for top-tier survival in 17th place and level on 15 points with relegation zone residents Caen and Lens.

Lens and Caen also meet on Saturday in a crunch game for both sides, with the winner hoping to put some valuable breathing space between themselves and the bottom three.

Fourth-placed Stade Rennes could pull level on 31 points with Lille when they welcome 16th-placed Valenciennes, and Brest could also improve on their sixth placing when they travel to take on Nice.

St Etienne play host to bottom side Arles – who have won just once from their 17 games – while Toulouse and Lorient will do battle, with both sides locked on 24 points.

Ninth-placed Montpellier welcome Auxerre to the Stade de la Mosson, with the latter now able to devote all their attention to domestic concerns after being eliminated from the Champions League and failing to secure a Europa League berth.

On Sunday, league-leaders Lille – who finished fourth last season – play host to Nancy, who are in 16th place.

Fifth-placed Marseille are at home to third-placed Lyon at the Stade Velodrome in what appears the pick of the weekend’s fixtures.

Lyon midfielder Yoann Gourcuff is unlikely to play as he battles back from an Achilles problem, while Marseille striker Brandao is also under an injury cloud.

The French champions will be bolstered, however, by the signing of defender Rod Fanni, who has been brought in from Rennes to cover injured right-back Cesar Azpilicueta and will make his debut in Sunday’s game.

Sochaux take on Jean Tigana’s Bordeaux side, with the clubs in eighth and 10th position respectively and separated by just a point.

The match could represent the first-team return for Sochaux’s American striker Charlie Davies, who was severely injured in a 2009 car accident in which another passenger died.