Congested Ligue 1 title race an extra motivation for PSG, claims Luis Enrique

Luis Enrique says the congested title race in Ligue 1 is only serving as extra motivation for his all-conquering Paris Saint-Germain team.

PSG won the treble last season, cruising to the Ligue 1 title with ease, finishing 19 points clear of second-best Marseille.

Yet it is much tighter this time around. Lens lead the way heading into the weekend on 31 points, though they could be overtaken by Marseille by the end of Friday.

Lille could well be level on points with PSG by the time the champions play against Rennes, who are fifth, on Saturday.

But Luis Enrique claimed his team are thoroughly enjoying the challenge.

"Annoyed to be second? No, it's deserved. One team has one more point than us, no problem, it's deserved," he told reporters.

"It's a motivation for us as a team. We easily won the championship last season. This season is unusual with a lot of injuries, but we're having a very good season.

"The difference is that other teams are playing very well and having a very good season. We're very motivated, not upset.

"We'll see over the whole season who the best team is; right now it's clearly Lens.

"We're not changing our mentality. We have our qualities. It will be difficult tomorrow, Rennes plays very well with and without the ball, they've taken a lot of points in recent weeks. We are aware of this difficulty but it's a motivation.

"Right now the league is more motivating: there's Rennes, Lens, Marseille, Lyon, Lille, Strasbourg, Monaco too. That's a motivation. The players have the same confidence. We know our strengths, what we want to do."

Opta's supercomputer still rank PSG's chances of winning the title at 86.4%.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

PSG - Bradley Barcola

Barcola has scored four Ligue 1 goals against Rennes, his joint-most against a single opponent, alongside Lens.

The forward could score in two consecutive home Ligue 1 games for only the second time in his career, after September-October 2024 (two).

Rennes - Breel Embolo

Embolo has been involved in at least one goal in each of his last three Ligue 1 games and could equal his longest top-flight scoring run (four in September-October 2022).

He is one of the two Rennes players to have been involved in at least five goals in the league this season (four goals, one assist), alongside Esteban Lepaul (10).

MATCH PREDICTION: PSG WIN

PSG are the favourites according to Opta's model, but Rennes have beaten them seven times in the Ligue 1 since the QSI takeover in 2011-12 (D4 L16), the joint-most over this period (level with Monaco). Four of those victories have come at the Parc des Princes, which is at least twice as many as any other club.

And PSG have already lost two of their 14 Ligue 1 matches this season (W9 D3), as many as they did in their 34 league games in each of Luis Enrique's two campaigns.

Rennes also earned the joint-most points in Ligue 1 in November alongside Lens (12 points, 10 goals scored and two conceded for both sides). They have taken as many points in their last four top-flight matches as they did in their first ten this season.

However, PSG have scored in their last 39 home Ligue 1 games and could become the tenth team to do so in 40 consecutive top-flight matches, only the third in the 21st century after Monaco (53 in 2015-2018) and Lille (44 in 2023-2025).

Rennes are unbeaten in their last six away Ligue 1 matches (D4 W2). They have not recorded seven consecutive away games without a defeat since February-May 2018, a run which ended with a 2-0 win at the Parc des Princes.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

PSG - 68.9%

Draw - 17.0%

Rennes - 14.1%