Paris Saint-Germain's upcoming clash with Reims is not just a top-of-the-table showdown as it's a golden opportunity for 17-year-old Warren Zaire-Emery to secure a spot in the French national team.
Recently called up by Didier Deschamps for the November internationals, Zaire-Emery, the captain of the French under-21 side, has become a standout star in Ligue 1, earning a place on Luis Enrique's team sheet.
If the PSG midfielder plays against Gibraltar or Greece, he will make history as the youngest French international since before World War I. As Zaire-Emery continues to impress, PSG enters the weekend one point off the top, boasting four victories in their last five Ligue 1 outings. However, they must recover from a recent Champions League setback against Milan.
Ligue 1's top goalscorer, Kylian Mbappe, looks to bounce back against Reims, a team that has conceded only five goals at home this season. Reims, quietly rising to fourth under coach Will Still, poses a challenge for PSG.
Nice, leading PSG by one point, aims to widen the gap against Montpellier on Friday, having been impressive since September. Montpellier, inconsistent this season, faces the daunting task of rebounding from a 3-0 defeat to PSG.
Marseille, under scrutiny for recent off-field incidents, seeks positives on the pitch against Champions League outfit Lens. Just one place separates the two sides in the table, with Lens needing a confidence boost after slipping out of qualifying spots midweek.
Ousmane Dembele, the PSG forward, emerges as a player to watch. Despite a quiet start after his 50 million euro move from Barcelona, his recent performance against Montpellier showcased his potential. After an anonymous midweek showing, Dembele, alongside Mbappe and a confident Zaire-Emery, aims to reignite PSG's attack.
