Paris Saint-Germain make the trip to face Saint-Etienne on the back of a hugely impressive victory over Manchester United in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
Saint-Etienne play host to the Ligue 1 leaders at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard sitting in fourth place in the standings, although a defeat on Sunday could leave the club in sixth position.
Saint-Etienne
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Saint-Etienne have been regulars in the top eight of the Ligue 1 table for the past five years, and Les Verts are well on course to end another campaign in the top half of the standings.
However, Jean-Louis Gasset's side have recorded just four points from their last four league outings, and the club's manager has a difficult job on his hands to keep them in contention for next season's Champions League.
Saint-Etienne will face PSG, Marseille and Lille all by March 8, and this period could make or break whether the club secure European football for later in the year.
Gasset would have been delighted that his side ended a three-game winless streak with a 2-1 triumph over Strasbourg earlier this week, especially with his players having to see out a nervy closing quarter-of-an-hour against one of their nearest rivals.
However, improvements will need to be made for the visit of PSG, and Saint-Etienne do not have fond memories of the reverse fixture earlier this campaign with the leaders running out 4-0 victors.
Saint-Etienne's cause is not helped by the fact that they have failed to keep a clean sheet in five matches, while just seven goals have been scored from their last six outings in France's top flight.
Their drop in form has coincided with the lack of contribution from top goalscorer Wahbi Khazri, with the former Sunderland man having not found the back of the net since January 16.
This is far from a one-man side, but the Tunisian has scored eight more times than any of his teammates and Saint-Etienne are desperate for the forward to regain a clinical touch in the final third.
Recent form: WWLDLW
Recent form (all competitions): WLLDLW
Paris Saint-Germain
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Questions have been asked about PSG in recent weeks, with Thomas Tuchel's side having failed to hit top form in their last two fixtures in Ligue 1.
However, their performance against Manchester United in midweek told everyone that their recent displays have only been a minor blip, and there was every suggestion at Old Trafford that they are ready to put together another lengthy unbeaten run.
Losing their 20-match streak against Lyon at the start of February had the potential to have a lingering effect, and PSG had to rely on a penalty from Edinson Cavani to see off Bordeaux last weekend.
Cavani and teammate Neymar were both absent for the trip to England earlier this week, but the manner of their win against the Premier League outfit without two of their key men would have told the rest of Europe that they are not reliant on the pair.
Angel Di Maria and Kylian Mbappe were a constant threat in the final third, but PSG also excelled in the centre of defence and midfield and it showed that they will be difficult to beat when they find their best form.
PSG face two games against top-five teams in the space of a week, but that is perhaps what Tuchel would want with his players having seemingly found a level of performance which they need to maintain week in week out.
There will inevitably be alterations over the next batch of games due to their close proximity, although Tuchel will be able to see which players he can trust with opportunities being provided to as many as 28 players in Ligue 1 this season.
Only the big three have scored more than half-a-dozen goals in the league since August, and that is perhaps the area which Tuchel will want to improve in the coming weeks.
Recent form: WWWWLW
Recent form (all competitions): WWLWWW
Team News
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Cavani is currently dealing with a hip injury and although the extent of the problem is unknown, Tuchel is unlikely to risk the Uruguay international this weekend.
Neymar remains sidelined with a foot injury, while Thomas Meunier sustained concussion last weekend and will play no part of the game on Sunday evening.
Leandro Paredes could be brought back into the team having only been named on the bench against Man United, and Moussa Diaby may be included on the left flank.
Mathieu Debuchy could be recalled into the Saint-Etienne starting lineup at right wing-back, with Kevin Monnet-Pacquet either being used further forward or dropping out of the team.
The remainder of the starting lineup could stay the same, with Gasset perhaps keen to give the players who edged out Strasbourg another opportunity in the team.
Saint-Etienne possible starting lineup:
Ruffier; Perrin, Subotic, Kolodziejczak; Monnet-Paquet, Bennasser, M'Vila, G.Silva; Cabella; Khazri, Beric
Paris Saint-Germain possible starting lineup:
Buffon; Kehrer, Silva, Kimpembe, Bernat; Alves, Marquinhos, Paredes; Alves, Di Maria, Mbappe, Diaby
Head To Head
PSG are currently on an 18-match unbeaten streak against Saint-Etienne, with 12 wins and six draws being recorded since November 2012.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored the winner for Saint-Etienne when they registered a 2-1 win at Parc des Princes over six years ago.
We say: Saint-Etienne 1-4 Paris Saint-Germain
Saint-Etienne have enjoyed a terrific campaign in Ligue 1, but PSG showed against Man United that they are capable of going through the gears when they wish and it could be a long 90 minutes for the home side.
Darren Plant
