PSG wary of in-form Lille in League Cup final

Paris Saint-Germain coach Laurent Blanc knows Lille pose a serious threat to his side's chances of completing another clean sweep of the domestic trophies as the teams prepare to clash in Saturday's French League Cup final.

With the Ligue 1 title and the season-opening Champions Trophy already in the bag, PSG are bidding to win the League Cup for the third year on the bounce before returning to the Stade de France for a French Cup final against Marseille next month.

However, Lille have found form at the right time, with six straight victories lifting them up to sixth in Ligue 1 and ensuring they head to the national stadium full of confidence.

"They are the form team of the moment but the context is always a bit unusual in a final," Blanc said at a press conference on Friday.

"Lille, physically, will oblige us to be really very strong. They are on form and still fresh physically, which is maybe not the case with us."

PSG rebounded from the enormous disappointment of their Champions League quarter-final exit to Manchester City by beating Caen 6-0 last weekend and then defeating Lorient 1-0 in the French Cup semi-final with a Zlatan Ibrahimovic winner.

"At the start of the season the objective was to win one cup and we are in the final of both. We want to win the two cups. If we don't win them then clearly we will not have fulfilled our objective," admitted Blanc.

The coach also revealed that Italian playmaker Marco Verratti is fit and could make his first appearance in two months after a groin injury.

"He is fit. That has not always been the case. All going to plan Marco Verratti will be in the squad so I am happy," he said.

Lille have not lifted any silverware since winning the Ligue 1 and French Cup double in 2011.

Then, they secured the title against PSG at the Parc des Princes and also beat the capital club in the cup final.

They have never won the League Cup, and coach Frederic Antonetti is hoping it will be fourth time lucky after being a beaten finalist with Bastia in 1995, Nice in 2006 and Rennes in 2013.

"I said to myself the other day, the first final (a 2-0 defeat to PSG with Bastia) took place in 1995 and I am here again 21 years later to talk about it. That's already not bad," he said.
Source: AFP