Ligue 1 preview: Top four in pre-Christmas jostle

Lille, Paris St Germain, Rennes and Lyon will be all vying for top spot in Ligue 1 on Wednesday as French football heads into its winter break.

The final round of matches before Christmas starts on Tuesday, when 10th-placed Montpellier visit 12th-placed Montpellier at Stade du Moustoi.

But the real interest centres on Wednesday’s games – with one point separating the top four sides.

Lille are on top with 31 points, level with second-placed Paris St Germain and Rennes, with Lyon a point further back in fourth, although Rudi Garcia’s Lille side do have a game in hand over the chasing pack.

The leaders, who host sixth-placed St Etienne, will be hoping for more good form from Senegalese striker Moussa Sow – whose 13 goals so far this campaign have helped his side’s rise up Ligue 1 after their fourth-placed finish last season.

Paris St Germain visit Nancy at the Stade Marcel Picot, still smarting after Daniel Niculae’s late equaliser denied them top spot with a 2-2 draw against Monaco on Saturday.

They will also be hoping for more continued good form from a talismanic front man, with Brazilian Nene’s brace on Saturday lifting him level with Sow on top of the scoring chart.

Rennes do battle with 18th-placed Caen, who will be looking for points to help them move clear of the relegation zone, while Lyon will want full points from their home clash with Auxerre and a slip-up from the top three if they are to secure supremacy over Christmas.

Elsewhere on Wednesday, Bordeaux will aim to extend their eight-game unbeaten run when they host Lens, although Jean Tigana’s side would like to do it with a win having drawn their past four Ligue 1 games.

Marseille could move into the top four if other results go their way and they manage to win on their trip to Brest, while Monaco will look to put some breathing space between themselves and the relegation zone when they welcome Sochaux.

The game 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.

Davies was an unused substitute in Sochaux’s 1-1 draw with Bordeaux on Sunday.

Bottom side Arles welcome Nice to the Stade Fernaud Fournier, searching for their second win of a dismal campaign which sees them eight points adrift of their nearest rivals.

And Valenciennes will look to improve on their 16th place when eighth-placed Toulouse visit.