Silva targets top, Riviera derby primed
Paris Saint-Germain can return to the top of the French Ligue 1 table if they beat strugglers Toulouse and captain Thiago Silva hopes they play as well as they did when holding Chelsea to a 1-1 UEFA Champions League draw in midweek.
With current Ligue 1 leaders Lyon and second-placed Marseille not in action until Sunday, third-placed PSG will go one point clear at the top of the standings if they can overcome Alain Casanova's Toulouse at home.
Silva played his 100th game for PSG in Tuesday night's 1-1 draw with the Premier League leaders at the Parc des Princes and sees no reason why Les Parisiens should not acquire all three points if they replicate that performance on Saturday.
Anything other than a home win will be surprising given that 17th-placed Toulouse are just two points clear of the drop zone having won just two of their last nine league matches, but Silva has called for composure as they attempt to reclaim top spot.
"We played very well and we deserved to win. Now we need to be calm. We have a game on Saturday and if we play the same way maybe we will win it too," Silva told www.ligue1.com after the Chelsea game. PSG will be able to call upon talisman Zlatan Ibrahimovic as his two-game domestic ban, announced on Thursday night, does not come into effect until after Saturday's showdown.
The Ligue 1 action gets under way tonight with the French Riviera derby and Monaco head coach Leonard Jardim insists his players are focused on the Nice game and not on next week's Champions League encounter against Arsenal. "The derby is always a special and important match for both the team and the fans," Jardim told the French media at the pre-match press conference.
"We have to have lots of intensity and concentration to beat Nice. Everybody has their heads screwed on and we are looking forward to the match." Jardim's side are now 11 points off the summit, but victory at the Allianz Riviera would see Monaco close to within six points of PSG, who currently occupy the final Champions League qualification spot.
Bordeaux are level on points with Monaco in sixth place and they travel to Rennes looking to secure their third straight league success, while Bastia host Lille, Lorient travel to Evian and Caen welcome Lens in Saturday's other games.
Lyon will have the chance to reclaim or extend their lead at the top of the pile when they host Nantes on Sunday afternoon, and will be hoping Marseille slip up at St Etienne later that night in the final game of the weekend. Sunday's other games see bottom side Metz travel to Reims and in-form Guingamp host Montpellier.