The Japan Times - PSG set to wrap up Ligue 1 crown after reaching Champions League final

Luis Enrique's side will face Arsenal in the Champions League final on May 30 after a 1-1 second-leg draw away to Bayern Munich on Wednesday saw them beat the Germans 6-5 on aggregate in their semi-final.

A year after hammering Inter Milan 5-0 in the final to win Europe's elite club competition for the first time in their history, they can now become just the second side in the Champions League era to go back-to-back, after the Real Madrid of 2016 to 2018.

"It is a real pleasure to have a team of this quality," said Luis Enrique after Wednesday's match.

Dominating domestically just does not carry the same significance as their European exploits, and indeed winning Ligue 1 is the minimum expected of PSG these days given their financial advantage over the rest of France since the transformative Qatari takeover of 2011.

PSG had the fourth-biggest revenue in world football last year according to analysts Deloitte, with estimates suggesting that their budget is more than France's next five wealthiest clubs put together.

Lens, whose budget is not even a 10th of PSG's, are the only team who can still pip them to the title with three games remaining.

However, PSG are six points ahead with a significantly better goal difference.

Lens therefore have to win at home to relegation candidates Nantes on Friday to prevent PSG from being able to officially retain their French crown at home to Brest on Sunday.

Even if Lens win, a victory for PSG would effectively end the race, and if not, Luis Enrique's team would have the opportunity to win the league away to their nearest rivals next Wednesday.

Lens, meanwhile, see finishing second as the best they can realistically aim for before their season ends with the French Cup final against Nice on May 22.

"Given the season we have been having, it is out of the question for us to consider anything other than second place, even if we are still of a mind to look a little higher," said Lens coach Pierre Sage.

Lyon are in a position to claim France's third automatic Champions League place, with Lille in fourth, which brings with it a place in next season's third qualifying round.

Monaco have to beat Lille to keep their own Champions League hopes alive, while Rennes can still qualify too, but Marseille's season has collapsed and they might yet fail to get into Europe at all.

Player to watch: Warren Zaire-Emery

The 20-year-old French international has bounced back from a difficult last campaign on a personal level, when he lost his place as a regular in the PSG side.

He has played more than 4,000 minutes for Luis Enrique's side this season, more than anyone else. Vitinha and Willian Pacho are the only others to have played more than 3,000 minutes.

Zaire-Emery's form in midfield has been so impressive that he now looks certain to go to the World Cup. And his versatility is valuable -- he has often filled in very effectively as a right-back this season when Achraf Hakimi has been injured, as he was on Wednesday against Bayern.

Key stats

14 - PSG can clinch their 14th French title -- the next most successful club is Saint-Etienne with 10

5 - PSG can win a fifth consecutive Ligue 1 crown -- the only longer streak in France is Lyon's run of seven in a row from 2002 to 2008

3 - Nantes have been French champions eight times but are now on the brink of being relegated from Ligue 1 for the third time in the last two decades

Fixtures (times GMT)

Friday

Lens v Nantes (1845)

Sunday

Angers v Strasbourg, Auxerre v Nice, Le Havre v Marseille, Metz v Lorient, Monaco v Lille, Paris Saint-Germain v Brest, Rennes v Paris FC, Toulouse v Lyon (all 1900)

Y.Mori--JT