PSG-OL: postponement, infirmary, classification… Five questions before the shock of the 8th day of Ligue 1

When there is no more, there is still some. After a Ligue 1 weekend, notably marked by the draw between Monaco and Lille (1-1) and the defeat of Paris FC at Lens (2-1), Paris Saint-Germain hosts Olympique Lyonnais this Monday evening, at the Parc des Princes, for the last match of the eighth day. Kick-off at 8:30 p.m. for this poster broadcast by Ligue 1+ and which will, of course, be followed live with commentary on our site.

Why was the match postponed?

In anticipation of Saturday's demonstrations and the holding of an NFL match in Saint-Denis on Sunday, the prefecture approached the Professional Football League (LFP) to request the postponement of PSG-Lyon, initially scheduled for Sunday at 8:45 p.m. Finally, the LFP complied with “the order of the Police Prefecture prohibiting the organization of the Paris Saint-Germain – Olympique Lyonnais meeting”. According to league regulations, the meeting had to be postponed to the first available date, therefore this Monday evening, despite the concomitance with the Ballon d'Or ceremony, also this Monday, on the London side. A taste of déjà vu for the capital club, which had already played on the evening of the Ballon d’Or award last year. It was in Marseille. A match postponed due to the weather. Ten Parisian players are among the 30 nominated for the prestigious individual trophy.

What are the issues at stake in the ranking?

It's quite simple: the winner will be leader in the Ligue 1 standings. Remember that the two clubs were part of a small group of five co-leaders at the end of the previous day. We have never seen such a grouping at the top of the hierarchy at this stage of the season. Monaco and Lille shared the points (1-1) and Paris FC lost to Lens (2-1). Which did the business of Rennes, provisional leader in the standings after its 3-0 success against Strasbourg. And who would remain so in the event of a draw at the Parc des Princes.

What dynamic for the two clubs?

After a sluggish start to the season, Paris Saint-Germain remains on seven victories in a row, in all competitions. Luis Enrique's men notably dominated Manchester City (4-2) and FC Barcelona (4-2) in the Champions League, sending a message to the rest of footballing Europe. Apart from a (big) disappointment in the Champions League, with the exit in the play-offs against Fenerbahçe (1-1, 1-2), the Gones had only lost once since the start of the season, in Lens (2-1), before their rout at Hoffenheim (3-0) on Thursday, in the Europa League. Paulo Fonseca had, however, made a large turnover in preparation for the trip to the banks of the Seine, which at least partly explains this. Winning bet for Lyon?

What did the last duels give?

The last confrontation between the two clubs resulted in a Lyon success at the Parc des Princes (1-2), on April 19. OL made the break in the first 18 minutes, thanks to Endrick and Alfonso Moreira. Paris had only reduced the gap in stoppage time, through Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. A match which followed PSG's 2-0 victory at Liverpool, in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. Vitinha was out injured. Dominik Greif also stopped a penalty from Gonçalo Ramos at the half-hour mark. Before this setback, Paris Saint-Germain remained on six victories against Olympique Lyonnais. Since the start of the QSI era, at the start of the 2011-12 season, OL have got the better of Paris eight times.