File photo Paris Saint Germain’s Argentinian midfielder Javier Pastore (L), Swedish forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic (2nd L) and Brazilian defender David Luiz (R) warming up ahead of their Ligue 1 match last week. 

AFP/Paris


The Ligue 1 season may only be seven matches old but the question already being asked in France is whether any of the other 19 top flight clubs can make a serious challenge to three-time defending champions Paris Saint-Germain.  
After Laurent Blanc guided the Qatar-backed capital club to a treble of domestic trophies last season (championship, French Cup, League Cup), the team are off to an unbeaten start to this campaign.  
But the Parc des Princes outfit, who brushed aside Guingamp 3-0 in midweek to preserve a one point lead at the top over Saint-Etienne, have made no bones of the fact their main priority remains winning a first ever Champions League title.  
Three consecutive runs to the quarter-finals, twice knocked out by Barcelona and once by Chelsea, has left a bad taste and the task at hand this season is to better that record and reach next May’s final in Milan.
The team are ticking along nicely in domestic action and new signing Angel Di Maria opened his league scoring account on Tuesday as the club improved their unbeaten start to five wins and two draws with a goal-difference of plus-10.  
Former PSG midfielder and French international Luis Fernandez has little doubt where the title will be come the end of the Ligue 1 campaign.  
“They will be champions, don’t worry about that,” said the 55-year-old who also enjoyed two spells as coach of PSG, guiding the club to the 1996 Cup Winners’ Cup, their only European conquest.  
“(Angel) Di Maria clicked well with (Marco) Verratti against Malmo (in their opening 2-0 Champions League group win) but maybe they have to change things at the back,” added Fernandez who admits Europe’s biggest competition is on everyone’s mind.  
PSG will travel to Ukraine and a testing Champions League tie against Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday before Real Madrid come to Paris on October 21.  
“For me they are already in preparation (for the Champions League). We will know in March if Laurent (Blanc) has got it right.”  
The task at hand this weekend will be garnering another three points when they travel to fourth-from-bottom Nantes.  
Bitter rivals Marseille are yet to hit top gear and with the departure of coach Marcelo Bielsa and disturbing crowd trouble at last week’s home draw against Lyon, Saint-Etienne have emerged as the closest challengers to PSG’s throne.  
Christophe Galtier’s side improved to five wins, one defeat and a draw in midweek with a 1-0 win at promoted Troyes and the ‘Greens’ can keep the pressure on PSG with a win at home to surging Nice on Sunday evening.  
Rennes are enjoying a great start to the Ligue 1 season but dropped two points at minnows Ajaccio in a 1-1 draw on Wednesday, and lie three points back, ahead of Saturday’s home tie against Troyes.  
Seven-time champions Lyon, are also yet to hit full stride and will have one eye on their key Champions League fixture against former finalists Valencia on Wednesday.
They travel to a Bordeaux side licking its wounds after they were thrashed 6-1 by a Hatem Ben Arfa-inspired Nice in midweek.  
Hubert Fournier’s team are still coming to terms with the loss of long-term injury casualty and French international Nabil Fekir as well as the stuttering goal-scoring form of last season’s player of the year Alexandre Lacazette (one goal this season).