It is a mini league that the four teams at the top of the table (Marseille, Bordeaux, Lyon and Paris) have started. With just five matches to go, the slighthest slip up could be fatal in the race for the title, especially for OL and PSG.

« Erik Gerets spoke, a little while back, of ten finals. Today, there are only five left  » states the OM president, Pape Diouf. Marseille perfectly dealt with the frst five, winning them all and taking first place in the L1. But, they are not alone in this race for the title of French champions. Bordeaux are staying closely in touch with OM.
Their sense of self-sacrifice and their mentality brought them victory over Rennes, in the final seconds of stoppage time (2-3)  during the Week 33 match which took place on Wednesday: « Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out how we had hoped because a match sometimes lasts longer than 90 minutes. Bordeaux, even down to 10 men, controlled th ematch and it doesn’t surprise me when you look at the quality of their squad  » analyses Erik Gerets.

« Bordeaux will not be giving up  »

Even if Laurent Blanc’s men would appear to be their most serious rivals, Gerets has forgotten about Olympique Lyonnais or PSG: « We have to wait and see who will make the first mistake, which one of these four sides will take a knock in this final run-in  ». Mamadou Niang agrees with his coach’s point of view: « I don’t know how everything will finish, but I do know that Bordeaux will fight till the end. There are 15 points there to be taken. Lyon and Paris are only 6 and 7 points behind us. Anything is possible and everything is there to be played for. We hold our destiny in our hands and it is up to us to win a maximum amount of points. We’ll do all the maths at the end  ».

Just like Pape Diouf who has « his eye focused on the fixture list  », we have to keep an eye on the upcoming matches and the two little points that separate OM and Bordeaux. « It’s going to be difficult for both sides. You could say that Bordeaux’s fixture list is less difficult than ours, but they still have to win those matches  » states Erik Gerets. Yohann Gourcuff and his teammates will play at home to Sochaux and will then journey to Valenciennes, while OM will clash with Toulouse at the Stade Vélodrome before travelling to Nice.
Current affairs at OM have everyone focused on the announcement of Erik Gerets’s departure at the end of the season. Despite of that, the common objective remains the title: « The only essential thing is that there be a united front around the club » concludes Pape Diouf.