Ligue 1 preview: Lyon look to build

Lyon will be out to build on their win over Lille when they meet Saint-Etienne in Ligue 1, while the top two face winnable outings.

Remi Garde’s Lyon responded to being knocked out of the Champions League by APOEL in the round of 16 with a surprise 2-1 victory over Lille on Saturday.

It ended a run of four matches without a win for Lyon, who are seventh in the league and battling to secure a European spot.

A win over fourth-placed Saint-Etienne at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard on Saturday would increase their chances of finishing in the top four.

While Bafetimbi Gomis and Lisandro Lopez have led the line for Lyon, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has had a stellar campaign with 11 league goals for Saint-Etienne.

Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain and Montpellier, first and second respectively, take on sides sitting in the bottom half of the table.

PSG are unbeaten under Carlo Ancelotti, and they sit a point clear at the top ahead of a trip to Caen on Saturday.

The Olivier Giroud-inspired Montpellier visit Nancy on Saturday as they look to build on their unbeaten start to this year.

Striker Giroud has netted 17 league goals to become the subject of interest from Premier League sides Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool.

In other matches, Stade Rennes and Toulouse, both a chance to claim a European place, do battle, while Marseille, who advanced to the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday, will be out to end a run of five consecutive losses when they welcome Dijon to Stade Velodrome.

Champions Lille are clinging to third spot ahead of a clash against Valenciennes on Sunday, while struggling sides Sochaux and Nice meet in a relegation six-pointer.

Auxerre will be hopeful of moving out of the relegation zone with a win over Evian on Saturday, while Bordeaux and Ajaccio are both coming off wins ahead of their clash.

Elsewhere, Lorient will be out to break a 10-match winless run in all competitions when they host Brest.