Following a very fortunate schedule in the first two months of the calendar year, the Parisians are locked into second place of the Ligue 1 table six points off Olympique Lyonnais. However the table has turned now and the schedule takes on a steep climb as face seven matches in the next three weeks including UEFA Cup ties against Braga, Toulouse and ominous Ides of March meeting against l'OM. Couple in foreboding losses of Claude Makélélé and Stéphane Sessegnon to suspension, les Rouge et Bleu know that three points are an absolute must against Pablo Correa's Nancy-Lorraine on Sunday.For Nancy, the end of February couldn't come sooner as they were without a win and suffered through a series of disappointing finishes that has their long-term manager considering a series of major changes. Looking back to last weeks loss to l'OL, Karim Benzema netted the winning strike in the dying moments just as did David Hellebuyck the week before for Nice and remarkably three weeks prior Jimmy Briand scored with a few minutes remaining to provide Rennais a draw. While Nancy is painfully only four points above the drop zone, this is a very fine team that merely is being victimized by poor focus in the later stages of the match.
For the match Paul Le Guen will have a near fully fit squad. Both Ludovic Giuly and Guillaume Hoarau were well rested against VfL Wolfsburg and should be ready to go, along with Claude Makélélé and Stéphane Sessegnon whose trip to the sin-bin doesn't start to next week.
brilliant photo of Michel Platini during his time for Nancy from L'Equipe
