With five-in-a-row champions Lyon already holding a 14-point gap on the rest after just 15 games, the championship race -- or procession -- is of little interest these days.

So all eyes will be on the team placed 13th in the table who host the ninth best side in the league.

Paris St Germain may be 12 places and 23 points off top spot but they still manage to dominate the sports pages.

Often in recent seasons it has been due to their gross under-achievement but this time it is the behaviour of their fans hitting the headlines.

As PSG entertain Toulouse on Sunday, memories will be fresh from the fatal shooting of a hard-core fan Thursday last week, following the embarrassing UEFA Cup 4-2 home defeat to Israel's Hapoel Tel Aviv.

The fan was shot dead by a black police officer who was trying to protect a Hapoel fan from a mob that chanted anti-semitic and racist slogans, including making monkey noises.

The subjects of racism and violence have been hot topics since then with even politicians throwing their oars into the argument.

PSG have closed two sections of their stadium -- those that hold the notorious Boulogne Boys -- until further notice and there will be 1,200 police at the game.

Police are expecting trouble from the right-wing fascist sections of PSG's support, most of whom should find themselves locked out of the ground.

Even Toulouse defender Lucien Aubey, a black Parisian who supported PSG as a child, is worried for his family who will attend the game.

"It's a shame to close a whole stand but, if it's to improve security, it has to be done," said Aubey.

"The problem is that just a minority of people are hurting the image of PSG. There were already racists and anti-semites in Boulogne when I was small.

"We knew exactly where the skinheads sat in that stand and we would never have thought of buying a ticket in that section.

"There was not a single foreigner in there. Those individuals are not the true PSG fans."

Aubey has bought tickets for his family to attend the game but he is worried.

"I have told them to arrive early and to leave late after the game," he added.

PSG are desperate for a win as their increasingly under-fire coach Guy Lacombe hangs onto his job by tenterhooks.

His team have not won in five games in all competitions and also face elimination from the UEFA Cup group stages after collecting only one point from their opening two matches.

PSG will not be the only side distracted by European competition. Second placed Lille travel to fifth placed Nancy on Sunday with one eye on their crucial final Champions League group game away to AC Milan.

Milan have already qualified for the knockout stages and Lille need to better AEK Athens's result away to Anderlecht to secure their place in the last 16.

Auxerre, who host Nice on Saturday, Lens, who entertain Bordeaux, and Nancy are also all involved in the UEFA Cup group stages this week and next and could be vulnerable to highly concentrated opponents.

Lyon will be totally focussed on their trip to Le Mans on Saturday, though, as they are already ensured of topping their Champions League group ahead of Real Madrid.
Fixtures
Saturday
Auxerre v Nice, Le Mans v Lyon, Lens v Bordeaux, Monaco v Valenciennes, Rennes v Nantes, Sedan v Troyes, St Etienne v Lorient
Sunday
AS Nancy v Lille, PSG v Toulouse, Sochaux v Marseille