PARIS, May 22 (Reuters) - Olympique Lyon look to wrap up a remarkable season with their first domestic double when they face Paris St Germain in the French Cup final on Saturday.
Lyon bagged a record seventh-consecutive league title last
weekend while PSG escaped relegation in the last round of
matches with a 2-1 win at Sochaux.
Lyon have not won the Cup since 1973 and will be eager to
emulate AJ Auxerre as the last team to clinch both the league
title and Cup in 1996.
Before Auxerre, only Girondins Bordeaux (1987) and Olympique
Marseille (1989) had secured the double since 1980.
'A double is something you cannot forget in your life,' full
back Francois Clerc told Reuters.
However, he said PSG would be dangerous opponents and likely
to play with more freedom that they had in the relegation
battle.
'In a way, the Parisians have experienced the same kind of
season than us -- with a lot of stress and a happy ending,' he
added.
'They won't have this 'ball and chain' they've had
throughout the season.'
Lyon should be almost at full strength with centre back
Jean-Alain Boumsong recovering quickly from a groin strain and
striker Abdulkader Keita returning to training on Thursday after
being out of the squad due to stomach problems.
However, a suspension for Cris means that if Boumsong were
to be ruled out, coach Alain Perrin would be forced to include
Swiss Patrick Mueller, who has played only one league match this
season.
With Switzerland playing a Euro 2008 warm-up game against
Slovakia on Saturday, Mueller asked to be released from club
duty.
'I've talked to the Swiss coach over the phone yesterday,'
Perrin said. 'If Boumsong is fit, we'll release Mueller.'
PSG, who won the League Cup in March, have been tagged as
cup specialists. They clinched the League and French Cups in
1995 and 1998, winning 10 from the 13 cup finals they have
played in.
They will have to cope without goalkeeper Mickael Landreau
and will bid farewell to Portuguese striker Pedro Pauleta, who
plays his last match for the club after scoring 76 goals from
168 league games.
'I have good feelings,' said PSG right back Bernard Mendy on
the club's website.
'Most important for us was to avoid relegation. Now that it
is done, we can end the season with this trophy, which is
important for the club, for us and for the fans.'
PSG hope their fans will be on their best behaviour.
The club have been excluded from next season's League Cup
after fans unfurled an abusive banner at this year's final
