Ligue 1 preview: Garde raring for top-four battle

Lyon travel to champions Lille on Sunday in a clash between the Ligue 1’s third- and fourth-placed teams.

Third-placed Lyon will be hopeful of bouncing back strongly from their 4-0 Champions League defeat to Real Madrid at the Bernabeu on Tuesday, and the injury-plagued outfit will be hoping for some welcome news from the treatment room ahead of the clash.

Argentine striker Lisandro Lopez, out for the past eight weeks with an ankle complaint, is one man Lyon would dearly love back in the squad, as are midfield duo Clement Grenier and Maxime Gonalons.

Lopez has resumed training and could be ready to play soon, but coach Remi Garde admits his side are struggling to cope with the absence of key personnel.

“When we do not have a full squad, we suffer a lot more,” Garde said.

“If we had Lisandro, Clement Grenier and Maxime Gonalons, and if the players who were back from long-term injuries had played more before the game, it could be a different story.”

Also on Sunday, leaders Paris Saint-Germain welcome promoted Dijon to Parc des Princes, looking to at least keep their three-point buffer on top of the league intact.

Tenth-placed Auxerre welcome Stade Rennes to the Stade Abbe-Deschamps in Sunday’s other match.

On Saturday, Marseille will hope to shrug off a listless start to the season when they welcome Ligue 1 newcomers AC Ajaccio.

The former French powerhouse are in 15th in the league table, and they will be keen for all three points against Ajaccio to rid themselves of the bitter taste left by their 1-0 Champions League loss to Arsenal on Wednesday.

Second-placed Montpellier could draw level – at least for a day – with leaders PSG should they emerge with all three points from their trip to Caen, and Bordeaux can move clear of the relegation zone with a home win against Brest.

Nice visit bottom side Nancy, Sochaux are at home to promoted Evian, Valenciennes journey to Saint-Etienne and sixth plays seventh when Toulouse head to Lorient.