Ligue 1: How to watch Lens vs PSG live on January 1, 2023

The league leaders take to the field on New Year's Day but will be in for a tough trip to Ligue 1's second-placed team.

Matchday 17 in Ligue 1 kicks off on New Year's Day, with a total of six matches taking place in the first 24 hours of 2023. And to make things even better, the French top flight saved the best fixture for last with PSG and Lens facing off in Sunday's final game.

The league leaders have already been in action since the end of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Galtier's men, as well as every other Ligue 1 side, took to the field during the midweek, facing Strasbourg in what many expected to be a straightforward tie.

The opposition are — and were heading into that Parc des Princes clash — second from bottom. Meanwhile, PSG welcomed both Neymar and Kylian Mbappe to their squad earlier than expected, with the two deadly attackers starting in that game. Despite this, the French giants came within minutes of dropping two points.

Marquinhos opened the scoring in the 14th minute but an own goal from that very-same Brazilian defender nearly condemned his side to a disappointing draw. Fortunately, Mbappe sealed a victory in the most dramatic fashion, netting a penalty in 90+6 to go seven points clear at the top.

That was the club's sixth victory in a row in this competition but there was a downside as Neymar was sent off in the triumph over Strasbourg, meaning PSG will be without two key attackers for this crucial trip: the suspended Brazilian and the iconic Lionel Messi.

And the team that Galtier's men will face on Sunday are their closest rivals in the table. This means there is an added benefit for Lens to beat the visitors.

In fact, the home side could have been only five points behind PSG had it not been for their midweek outing. Lens recent fixture saw them travel to Nice but Franck Haise's side were unable to break down their rivals. Fortunately, that tie did not end in a second defeat of the campaign.

And while Sotoca and Co. lost ground on the league leaders, they still boast a healthy four-point lead over third-placed Marseille. Additionally, Lens' hopes of beating PSG are bolstered by their impeccable home form as the host boast a 100 percent record at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis.

Les Sang et Or have played eight league matches on home soil this term and have emerged triumphant in all eight outings, beating the likes of Lyon and Rennes during this run. PSG will be a whole new test but it is one Haise's men will face head-on.

Team news

Lens: Jimmy Cabot and Wuilker Farinez are long-term absentees, but they aren't the only ones set to miss this tie, as David Costa and Adam Buksa are also on the sidelines. The home side have no other concerns but Lois Openda could force his way into the lineup for Sunday's tie.

PSG: As mentioned earlier, Neymar is suspended after being sent off in the Strasbourg tie while Lionel Messi is yet to return from Argentina following his nation's 2022 FIFA World Cup win. This means Carlos Soler could get a rare nod. Presnel Kimpembe and Nuno Mendes are also on the sidelines.

Key stats

PSG boast the superior record in head-to-head battles with Lens, winning 40 out of 81 encounters.
Nonetheless, the host have won an impressive 22 encounters with the Paris giants.
Mbappe and Co. have lost just one in 16 encounters with Lens but drew 1-1 both home and away last term.
Galtier's men have won seven of their last eight away games in Ligue 1 while keeping a clean sheet in six of those fixtures.