Blanc unconcerned by league placing

Paris Saint-Germain coach Laurent Blanc insists he is unconcerned by the prospect of heading into the mid-season break second in Ligue 1.

The defending French champions are a point behind leaders Marseille heading into this weekend’s fixtures, which sees the capital club welcome Montpellier to the Parc des Princes. 

A 1-0 loss to Guingamp last Sunday saw PSG miss the chance to take over at the summit and may now have to settle for second at the midway point even if they claim all three points on Saturday.

Yet Blanc, who has come under pressure for PSG’s inconsistent performances this season, does not place too much emphasis on being top at the midway point.

“I will have to say that it’s important to finish top because it means you have more points than your competitors. That’s all,” Blanc said. 

“We have an opponent [Marseille] who can finish ahead of us. Good for them. But the league will not be over. 

“It shows the quality [of the performances] you had in the first part of the season. 

“We are close, but there will be a second part of the season which will be crucial as well. It’s at the end of the season that we have our total and the total of our competitors. We will see if we finish first, second or third.”