Lyon juggernaut heads for Paris

Lyon will hope to take their impressive recent form into their French first division clash at Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday, in what will be the first genuine test of their title aspirations.

Claude Puel’s team are Ligue 1’s form side, having won their last four league games, and they made a positive start to their Champions League campaign with a 1-0 victory at home to Serie A heavyweights Fiorentina on Wednesday.

Bordeaux’s title triumph last season left Lyon trophyless for the first time since 2000, but their performances in recent weeks suggest they are well placed to challenge for honours again and they go into Sunday’s game level on points with Bordeaux at the top of the table.

“The team looks great to me,” said PSG goalkeeper Gregory Coupet of his former side Lyon, who he left after 11 years’ service in 2008.

“They have ambition, which is plain to see. The new players have integrated well. Everything’s going well. Mr Puel’s methods have been taken on board and the team is evolving.”

PSG’s unbeaten start to the season came to an end in cruel fashion last weekend, when two goals in the last five minutes saw them go down 2-0 at Monaco.

The capital side currently trail Bordeaux and Lyon by three points and the fans at the Parc des Princes will be desperate for a victory to prove they have what it takes to maintain a sustained challenge in the upper reaches of the division.

Beninese midfielder Stephane Sessegnon misses out through suspension after being sent off at Monaco, while Turkish international striker Mevlut Erding is also out after undergoing surgery on his shoulder.

Lyon, meanwhile, have doubts over centre-back Mathieu Bodmer and Brazilian winger Michel Bastos, both of whom picked up injuries during the win over Fiorentina.

Montpellier have been the surprise package of the fledgling season, currently sitting third after their promotion, but they face a daunting trip to Mediterranean neighbours Marseille on Saturday.

Didier Deschamps’s men fell to a 2-1 loss at home to AC Milan in their rain-lashed Champions League opener at the Stade Velodrome on Tuesday but they boast the best defence in Ligue 1 and are unbeaten in the league so far.

Montpellier could be forgiven for approaching the assignment with a degree of trepidation but Colombian striker Victor-Hugo Montano insists they can pull off a surprise against the pre-season title favourites.

“We’ll have to be clever,” said the 25-year-old. “If you’re a footballer you play to take part in games like this in the cauldron of the Velodrome. We can do something there, I’m sure of that.”

Bordeaux remain the team to beat and the table-toppers began their Champions League campaign with an impressive 1-1 draw at Juventus that left manager Laurent Blanc in raptures.

“I was delighted to see my team cause problems for Juventus,” said the former France international centre-back.

“It’s our best away performance and on a similar level to our 1-1 draw at home to Chelsea (in the Champions League) last season.”

Les Girondins visit new boys Boulogne-sur-Mer, currently eighth, on Saturday while bottom side Grenoble’s quest for a first point of the campaign continues at home to unbeaten Rennes.

Fixtures (1700GMT unless otherwise stated)

Saturday

Boulogne v Bordeaux, Grenoble v Rennes, Lorient v Nancy, Nice v Monaco, Sochaux v Valenciennes, Saint-Etienne v Auxerre, Marseille v Montpellier (1900GMT)

Sunday (1500GMT unless otherwise stated)

Lens v Lille, Toulouse v Le Mans, Paris Saint-Germain v Lyon (1900GMT)