After their victory against Brest last weekend (1-0), the Parisians are practically assured of winning the championship, even in case of a defeat against their closest rival in this rescheduled match from the 29th day, on Wednesday.
Published on: May 13, 2026 06:00 Reading time: 3min
“Champion 99.9%”: this is the status of Paris Saint-Germain, according to the words of Luis Enrique himself, as they prepare to face Lens, who are in second place, on Wednesday, May 13. With a six-point lead and fifteen goals difference in goal-average, and only two games remaining, the outcome of the championship is beyond doubt, even if Parisians were to lose at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis.
A false suspense that does not bother the Parisian coach, who has only one perspective: “Arrive in the best physical, mental, individual, and collective conditions for the match on May 30,” against Arsenal in the Champions League final. Understanding: managing the injuries of some key players, giving rest to others, and keeping all players in rhythm.
In Munich, during the second leg of the semi-final, eight of the Parisian starters had less than 1,350 minutes of play in Ligue 1 (equivalent to 16 full matches, out of 31 days). True to his calibrated management of the form states, Luis Enrique does not hide it: he may not necessarily field his best eleven against the runner-up, even though Lens is the last opponent capable of providing a real test. “The most important thing for me is to manage and analyze individually the minutes load to arrive at the Champions League final in the best conditions,” explained the former coach of La Roja after the victory against Brest.
Parisian players do not mince words either. “Lens is a very good team, but I think it has nothing to do with a Champions League final, it’s really in a league of its own,” judged Désiré Doué after securing victory against Brest. “Of all the matches we have played this season, none will be like it.” The man of the match in the last Champions League final, like his two attacking partners, has already rested against Brest. But Fabian Ruiz and Marquinhos, who played Sunday after the second leg against Munich, could, for example, be preserved in turn, unless the Parisian coach believes the Spanish midfielder needs to regain rhythm.
The Parisian staff could also take this opportunity to repeat certain experiments. The adaptation of Lucas Beraldo, deployed as a sentinel for a month in Ligue 1 and entered this role against Liverpool and Munich in the final quarter, seems conclusive, as does Senny Mayulu’s performance on the right flank of the defense.
“To play fullback at Paris Saint-Germain, the first thing you must have is the engine,” analyzes Luis Enrique. “That’s what Hakimi has, that’s what Warren (Zaïre-Emery) has. Senny Mayulu also has the engine and that’s important. After that, there is his quality; he has shown that he has the offensive and defensive level.” Convincing in that role against Lorient and Brest, the 19-year-old youth academy product can show, against tougher opposition, that he is a credible backup to Warren Zaïre-Emery if Achraf Hakimi is not recovered in time for the final.
Even on the Lens side, heads are already turned towards the Coupe de France after the defeat of Lens against Brest, the coach of the Blood and Gold no longer hoped to surpass Parisians. “We tried to push them to their limits, but we missed some turns in our imperfect season. To outclass them, we must have a perfect season,” he admitted. Before taking a stand, to some extent, on the outcome of Ligue 1, but especially on that of the Champions League: “Congratulations to them, they have succeeded in winning another title and probably a second Champions League.”
