Although Les Parisinnes last league match against Marseille at the Campus (2–1) was only 11 days ago, it feels much longer. Since then, the Rouge et Bleues have played two high-stakes knock-out matches: first against Lyon in the Coupe LFFP final in Abidjan (a 1–0 defeat), then in the Coupe de France quarter-finals away at Dijon on Wednesday afternoon (a 2–1 win).
PSG are now preparing to play a third consecutive away match within a week, and will have to wait more than a month for their next home league game at the Campus, which will take place on 22 April against Saint-Étienne Before that, the club from the capital will travel to Montpellier on Sunday, then to Nantes on 28 March, and will host Paris FC in the Coupe de France semi-final at the Campus on Sunday 5 April at 14:30.
Bottom of the Arkéma Première Ligue, Montpellier could be relegated to the second division at the end of a nightmare season. Such a drop would be a disaster for the club, which has been part of the top flight since 1997. Only Lyon (49 seasons), Paris FC (48), and PSG (39) have played more seasons at the highest level domestically than Montpellier (33).
The days of their two French league titles in 2004 and 2005 now seem far away, and Jean-Louis Saez’s players are now fighting simply to stay up. Currently bottom of the table and three points behind Lens (the first team outside the relegation zone), every point now matters hugely for Montpellier. They will be keen to take advantage of any fatigue in the Paris squad after a demanding week.
Appointed at the beginning of March as head coach of the first team to try to turn things around, Jean-Louis Saez has made his return to Montpellier after already managing the team for five seasons (2013–2019). This comeback could lift the spirits of both the players and the supporters, as the French coach left behind strong memories during his previous spell in the south. Runner-up in the league in 2017, he led the team to qualify for the Women’s Champions League for the first time since 2009, reaching the quarter-finals before being eliminated by Chelsea.
This time, however, the task looks even more difficult. Montpellier already used up one of their “lifelines” last week with a bitter defeat away to Lens, their main rival in the fight to avoid relegation. Jean-Louis Saez will now be hoping to cause an upset against Paulo César’s side, while Montpellier still have to face Paris FC and Lyon in the final four matches of the season.
Paulo César’s players have made an excellent start to 2026 and are fighting to reclaim second place behind Lyon in the league, which would give them an advantage in the play-offs. Currently, Paris FC and Nantes are slightly ahead of PSG, who themselves are three points clear of Fleury, the first team outside the play-off spots.
This strong start to the year reflects the excellent mindset of the Paris side, who are committed to putting on a show both at home and away. Up front, Romée Leuchter has been in outstanding form in recent weeks. With 14 goals to her name, the league’s top scorer is a real threat to opposing defences. She scored a hat-trick against Lens and was decisive on two occasions against Paris FC in February (1 goal, 1 assist). The Dutch international was rightly rewarded by being named Arkéma Première Ligue Player of the Month for February.
