It's just as well Paris Saint-Germain's players enjoy a 10-point lead in Ligue 1 or they might have to think seriously about the French top flight rather than their impending clashes in a couple of weeks against Borussia Dortmund in the semi-finals of the Champions League.
PSG reprise their domestic activities on Sunday night at the Parc des Princes against Lyon who they will face in the final of the Coupe de France on 25 May at the Pierre Stade Mauroy in Lille.
That encounter in northern France will provide Lyon with their only chance of silverware this season. PSG, by then, should have wrapped up the Ligue 1 crown for the 10th time in 12 seasons.
Putative rivals Marseille are also into the semis of a European competition following a penalty shoot-out win over Benfica on Thursday night in the Europa League.
They will face Atalanta for a place in the final against Bayer Leverkusen or Roma. Marseille's progress on Thursday night forced Ligue 1 organisers on Friday to reschedule the penultimate round of games from 9pm on 11 May to the same time on 12 May to give Marseille time to recover from the second leg of their semi-final on 9 May.
By then PSG will probably be giving run-outs to the fringe players in the squad as they nurse their wounds from Champions League elimination or preparing giddily for a crack at European club football's most prestigious trophy.
For all of PSG's Ligue 1 supremacy, May 2024 will only be the club's fourth appearance in the last four of the Champions League since it emerged from its European Cup iteration in 1992.
Run
Three of the adventures to the semis have come under Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) who took over the PSG extravaganza in March 2012 and started injecting squillions of euros into acquiring some of the best players on the planet as well highly rated coaches.
Thomas Tuchel steered the course to the 2020 Champions League final. The German was sacked a few months after the defeat to Bayern Munich.
His successor, Mauricio Pochettino, led the side to the last four in 2021 where they were undone by Manchester City. And then nada.
Divested of superstars such as Neymar, Marco Verratti and Lionel Messi, a less glittering constellation under Luis Enrique has managed to shine.
The two-legged tie on 1 and 7 May in Dortmund and then Paris will provide a test of mettle.
Enrique, who took over last July, appears to be growing in belief that his mien and methods are reaping dividends.
His confident prediction that his side would prevail in the quarter-final second leg in Barcelona reeked of hubris – more so when Raphinha opened the scoring for the hosts to give them a 4-2 aggregate lead.
But Barcelona starred in their own tragedy. Or was it a Farcelona? Ronald Araujo was sent off for a cynical foul on Bradley Barcola in the 29th minute and Joao Cancelo conceded a needless penalty on the hour mark just after coach Xavi Hernandez was dismissed for petulance on the sidelines.
"I think that throughout the season our supporters have seen our team working and fighting," said Enrique somewhat drily after the 4-1 victory took PSG through 6-4 on aggregate.
"They feel that we're a team that goes until the end. Everyone was expecting a defeat, so it's very positive."
A win in Paris on Sunday night would effectively confirm Lyon's status in Ligue 1 and keep them in the hunt for a place in next season's Europa Conference League.
The third-tier European tournament is a far cry from the heights envisaged when John Textor took control of the club two years ago.
The American tycoon's projections included rivalling PSG for the Ligue 1 crown and snazzy performances in the Champions League. And why not? But not quite yet.
Return
Earlier this season, Lyon – winners of seven succesive Ligue 1 titles at the turn of the century – looked destined to be grubbing around Ligue 2 grounds.
Under former France boss Laurent Blanc they gained one point from their first four games. Replacement Fabio Grosso added another six to the pot before he shuffled off the coil after eight games in charge.
And his replacement Pierre Sage hardly hit the ground running with two more defeats.
With seven points from 14 games, Lyon were a diminished titan. But Sage has inspired the most impressive of recoveries with the sweep to the Coupe de France final and steady ascent into seventh place in Ligue 1 with 41 points from 29 games.
"Since December, when he took over a team in distress, Pierre Sage has been hammering home the point that only hard work can turn things around," wrote regional politician Sébastien Michel in a column in Lyonmag.com.
"A rather conventional line in these circumstances," added the mayor of Écully. "But where he has made an impression, particularly on his players, is in his ability to show humility on a daily basis. Whether it's the way he speaks, his attitude after matches, whether he wins or loses, or even the way he dresses.
"Everything about this man exudes humility, where the times constantly push for egotism in the literal sense of the word.
Humility
"It's a humility that is visibly contagious if you look at the attitude of the players, who have rediscovered their ability to work together and for each other, where the start of the season was marked by excessive individualism on the part of most of them.
"Even some individuals renowned for their exaggerated selfishness on the ball seem to have been contaminated, and are making more and more runs and collective choices."
The eulogy could be used for PSG too. The players who took to the field in the early years of the QSI era often exuded privilege.
Enrique has cultivated a far more yeoman look and the 53-year-old Spaniard has responded to the widely expected departure of striker Kylian Mbappé to Real Madrid with the dexterity that defined his own playing career.
"We're going to wait for Kylian to speak," said Enrique after the match in Barcelona. "And when he does, we'll give our opinion. Until the parties have spoken, I'll remain calm. It's like in a trial. I'm a witness and I'm waiting for the parties to speak."
Mbappé, who was roundly criticised for his poor showing in the first leg in Paris on 10 April, made the apposite noises too following his brace in the 4-1 rout.
Dream
"I dream of winning the Champions League with PSG," said the 25-year-old who has been at PSG since 2017.
"We've taken one more step and beaten a great team," added PSG's record goalscorer. "My pride in playing for this club, in representing the club from the capital of my country, is something special. To experience evenings like this as a Parisian is great."
The open secret is that Mbappé is heading for Real Madrid next season and that the deal will not be announced until after one of the sides is eliminated from the Champions League.
Madrid will play Bayern Munich in the semis after disposing of holders Manchester City. A Madrid v PSG final is in the offing but then so is an all-German final.
That latter scenario would at least precipitate the details over Mbappé's future. And leave PSG focused on a Coupe de France final and more domestic glory. Plus ça change.
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