Lens has transformed from surprise package to genuine title threat to PSG in Ligue 1

PARIS (AP) — With nine rounds remaining in Ligue 1, Paris Saint-Germain still has not managed to shake off Lens in the title race.

Lens has gone from surprise frontrunner to genuine challenger and, with PSG not playing this weekend, coach Pierre Sage's side can move two points ahead at the top with a win at mid-table Lorient on Saturday.

PSG is off duty because Nantes agreed to postpone their scheduled game on Sunday in order to give PSG better preparation for the Champions League second leg against Chelsea next week.

It seems PSG hardly needs it, leading 5-2 from the last-16 first leg on Wednesday.

The decision hardly pleased Nantes fans, who are facing yet another relegation scrap with a third coach this season. Ahmed Kantari was sacked this week and replaced by Vahid Halilhodzic.

Kantari was in charge for just three months. He was hired in mid-December after Nantes fired Luís Castro, who lasted 15 games.

After scraping a narrow win at Toulouse last weekend, Marseille moved back into third place on goal difference from Lyon.

But Marseille's fans are still angry at facing another trophyless season and coach Habib Beye's players need a strong performance at home against Auxerre on Friday to appease them.

Monaco is at home to Brest on Saturday and the players are on a roll under attack-minded Belgian coach Sébastien Pocognoli. Monaco has won its past four league games, including impressive away wins against PSG and Lens.

Lyon looks to snap a four-game winless streak when it travels to lowly Le Havre and fifth-placed Rennes seeks a fifth straight win when it hosts Lille, with both of those games on Sunday.

Monaco's turnaround in fortunes has coincided with American forward Folarin Balogun finding form. He looked at his best last Friday against PSG, where his movement and hold-up play stood out, and he has 13 goals overall this season.

Lens winger Florian Thauvin is in fine form after scoring in Ligue 1 and the French Cup last week.

Rémi Himbert has caught the eye on the left side of Lyon's attack and the 18-year-old forward's form has earned him a first professional contract until 2028.

Rennes striker Esteban Lepaul looks to add to his 13 league goals this season.

Lyon's goalscoring midfielder Pavel Šulc remains sidelined with a hamstring injury.

Marseille central defender Nayef Aguerd requires an operation to treat pubalgia — a chronic groin injury problem — which has been troubling the Morocco international for months.

Nice midfielder Everton is expected to miss the rest of the season. The 18-year-old broke into the team this year but suffered a serious ankle injury in training this week.

PSG's Qatari president Nasser Al-Khelaifi was grounded in Qatar this week amid the intensifying Iran war.

Flights in and out of the Middle East have been impacted by the Iran war, started by the U.S. and Israel on Feb. 28.

PSG has been bankrolled by Qatari backer QSI since the club's takeover 15 years ago.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Monaco's Folarin Balogun (9) celebrates scoring his side's 3rd goal during the French League One soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco in Paris, Friday, March 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Lens' Florian Thauvin (10) scores from the penalty spot during the French League One soccer match between Paris FC and Lens in Paris, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Texas Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi threw a bullpen session Wednesday and said he felt good two days after being scratched from his scheduled start because of left side tightness.

Eovaldi first felt what he described as minor tightness while playing catch Sunday. He still felt it when he woke up the next day, and met with team trainers before he was supposed to pitch in the opener of a series against Arizona.

“We just did some of the testing that they have for it. I felt it on a few things and we just didn’t feel the need to push it,” Eovaldi said Wednesday. "I’ve experienced something like that before, and just try to play it smart."

The Rangers did have right fielder Brandon Nimmo in the lineup for the series finale against the Diamondbacks, a night after he exited a 7-4 win because of a sprained his left ankle.

“Hopefully, another bullet dodged with two big-time players for us,” manager Skip Schumaker said.

Eovaldi (4-4, 4.15 ERA) said he was assuming that he would take his next normal turn in the rotation Sunday. He said he needed only a couple of days when experiencing similar stiffness in the past during spring training.

Schumaker said that was good to hear, but planned to have conversations with the two-time All-Star and the medical staff before determining when he would make his next start. The Rangers have a day of Thursday before opening a three-series in Houston.

Eovaldi threw about 25 pitches in his bullpen session, and Schumaker they were at a high intensity and “came out good. ... Let’s see how he recovers.”

The 36-year-old pitcher is coming off consecutive wins against New York in his last two starts, limiting the Yankees to one run and striking out 15 over 15 innings in those games. He allowed one run over eight innings at Yankee Stadium last Wednesday and threw seven scoreless innings against them in his last home start on April 29.

Eovaldi was 11-3 with a career-best 1.73 ERA last season when limited to 22 starts because of elbow inflammation and a rotator cuff strain. He didn't pitch after Aug. 22.

Nimmo came up hobbling in the sixth inning Tuesday and exited the game a few pitches after hitting the edge of first baseman Ildemaro Vargas’ foot as he reached on an infield single. X-rays during the game were negative, and he went through drills Wednesday before Schumaker posted the lineup.

"After the game, coming off the field, I didn’t think there was any way he was going to play today," Schumaker said. “He ran through outfield drills, base running drills and told me that he was gonna play. I didn’t tell him he was gonna play.”

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Texas Rangers' Nathan Eovaldi pitches during the second inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Wednesday, May 6, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)