There will be no opportunity for Paris Saint-Germain to relax when they return to Ligue 1 action with a trip to Nice on Saturday afternoon.

As they look to juggle their commitments across two competitions, the pressure is on PSG to boost their title bid against a side with nothing to lose in the closing stages of the campaign.

Nice

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The big challenge for Nice over the next six matches will be to secure a top-half finish at the end of a season which has had its fair share of highs and lows.

There has been a boost for the club's supporters in recent weeks thanks to a three-game unbeaten run, which included a surprise victory over title hopefuls Lyon last month.

Despite currently occupying 10th spot, Nice sit just five points clear of the bottom three and even if the threat of relegation is not in the thoughts of the supporters, Claude Puel will be keen to pull further away from their rivals in the bottom half of the table with a strong finish to the campaign.

A top-half finish seems more likely than a late-season flirt with the relegation zone, and Puel may consider Saturday's meeting with PSG an opportunity for his side to adopt a positive approach in the search for a shock win.

The win at Lyon was proof that Nice can match the bigger teams in Ligue 1, and if consistency had been easier to achieve, European qualification may not have been out of the question this season.

Recent form: LLLWDW

PSG

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A hectic week has seen highs and lows for PSG, who saw their hopes of reaching the Champions League semi-finals take a hit with a 3-1 loss to Barcelona in the French capital on Wednesday evening.

Despite not being out of the tie, the chances of overturning the deficit at Camp Nou on Tuesday seem small and a slip-up in the Ligue 1 title race could make it one of the toughest weeks in recent memory.

The defeat to Barcelona came just a few days after Laurent Blanc's side claimed the first trophy of the season by beating Bastia 4-0 in the Coupe de la Ligue final.

Triumphing in that competition may have been an added bonus, but the club's supporters and owners will expect nothing less than success in the league after a dramatic title race which has seen PSG and Lyon pull away from their rivals in recent weeks.

Lyon's victory over Bastia on Wednesday night put them two points clear at the top of the table, but PSG still have a game in hand over their rivals with seven matches left in their campaign.

However, anything less than a win on Saturday will hand control to Lyon, who return to action at home to Saint-Etienne on Sunday evening.

Recent form: WDWLWW
Recent form (all competitions): LWWWWL

Team News

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Blanc is faced with a number of difficult decisions as he looks to boost his side's title bid without waving the white flag ahead of a trip to Camp Nou to face Barcelona in the second leg of their quarter-final tie.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be unavailable as he begins his four-match ban for his rant about France and Ligue 1 officials, but Blanc is unlikely to consider resting many key men as he looks to put the pressure back on Lyon.

Edinson Cavani should lead the attack for the visitors, while Marco Verratti will also miss out for the visitors due to suspension.

Nice have no new injury concerns ahead of the meeting with the champions, and Puel may name an unchanged side with Alassane Plea leading the attack with support from Valentin Eysseric

Nice possible starting lineup:
Puoplin, Genevois, Puel, Amavi, Bodmer, Mendy, Rafetraniaina, Bautheac, Eysseric, Benrahma, Plea

PSG possible starting lineup:
Sirigu; Aurier, Marquinhos, Silva, Maxwell; Rabiot, Cabaye, Matuidi; Lucas, Cavani, Pastore

Head To Head

Ibrahimovic scored the only goal of the game from the spot as PSG triumphed in the reverse fixture back in November to give his side their fourth successive win over Nice.

PSG have lost just one of the last nine Ligue 1 games between the two sides, while the statistics suggest they will miss Ibrahimovic, who has scored six goals in his last five appearances against the opposition.

We say: Nice 0-1 PSG

The pressure is on PSG following Lyon's win in midweek and their own disappointment in the Champions League, but they will be desperate to return to form, and Blanc's side should battle to all three points at the Allianz Riviera.

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