As Paris saint-germain celebrated their fourteenth french league title midweek, sunday’s 34th matchday delivers fresh drama. While psg and rc lens have already staked their claims, three teams battle for the third and final direct champions league spot: lille (3rd, 61 points), lyon (4th, 60 points) and rennes (5th, 59 points).

Lille holds its fate in its own hands

Lille’s players find themselves in pole position to secure third place. An away win against auxerre would seal their champions league qualification, as the losc would be mathematically untouchable. Even without champions league football, lille would still qualify for the europa league as fifth-placed team. Lyon meanwhile will need lille to stumble and will host lens in a high-stakes clash. A victory against the sang et or could secure lyon’s champions league qualifying spot, especially if lille drop points.

Marseille versus Rennes: winner takes european glory

The velodrome showdown between olympique de marseille and stade rennais carries massive implications. While a win would secure europa league football for rennes, a defeat could relegate them to the europa conference league. Marseille manager habib beye faces particular pressure, having been dismissed by rennes earlier this season. The phocéens need to improve on their current sixth-place finish, but even a single defeat could see them leapfrogged by seventh-placed monaco, who could secure a european spot with a win against strasbourg.

Relegation playoff battle: le havre, auxerre and nice fight for survival

The bottom three teams – le havre (14th, 32 points), auxerre (15th, 31 points) and nice (16th, 31 points) – will battle to avoid the relegation playoff spot. Auxerre claimed a crucial 2-1 victory against nice last week, but now face an away trip to lille. Ironically, nice appear best placed to survive, hosting bottom-placed metz who haven’t won since november. Le havre travel to lorient (9th) in a must-win clash, having gone 13 matches without victory since beating strasbourg in february.