Mauricio Pochettino believes Paris Saint-Germain will be worthy Ligue 1 champions if they leapfrog Lille on the season's final day – and said it would not be a "failure" to fall short.
The head coach, who took over from Thomas Tuchel in January, has seen his team show inconsistent league form, suffering defeats to Lorient, Nantes, Monaco and Lille.
A late-season surge has seen PSG close to just one point behind Lille going into Sunday's final round of games.
The Coupe de France final triumph over Monaco on Wednesday means Pochettino's team already have one major trophy, but the former Tottenham boss wants a double.
"In football you always have to believe. That is the principle we have always had," said Pochettino.
His team travel to relegation-threatened Brest on Sunday evening, while Lille head to Angers, who are safe from the threat of the drop.
"We always think anything can happen and we have to be ready to win in case Lille slip up at Angers which means we will win the league," Pochettino said.
"We believe that good things will happen. Everyone will do their job as well as they can. So we hope to win tomorrow and to also win the title.
"We would be worthy champions, as would any other team that might win it. Whoever wins it will be worthy champions."
Asked whether it might be considered a failure if the Parisians fail to win the title, Pochettino dismissed the emotive term.
PSG have been champions in seven of the last eight seasons, and their budget far exceeds that of any domestic rival.
"At a club like PSG, not winning any of those competitions is always a big disappointment," Pochettino said.
"I don't know if the word failure applies because that has a very strong connotation, but it would be a disappointment rather than a failure.
"It would be disappointing not to win the league, but we are thinking positively and that it may be possible."
PSG also won the Trophee des Champions under Pochettino's watch – beating Marseille in January – having earned their place in that match following a league and cup double last season.
"We hope to win another trophy; it would be our third in five months," Pochettino told reporters in a news conference on Saturday.
"We had a good campaign in the Champions League, reaching the semi-finals, but we were disappointed not to reach the final. I think the squad and players have put in a huge effort to compete in the best way."
The last time there was such a small gap between the top two entering the final round of a Ligue 1 season was way back in 2001-02, when Lens led Lyon by a point but were overtaken on the final day after losing to their title rivals.
That is one positive omen for PSG, with another being that Brest boss Olivier Dall’Oglio has lost on all six previous occasions when he has faced the capital side as a head coach in the league.
Brest's last league win against PSG was a 3-1 success in January 1985. Indeed, Brest have been beaten in their last three Ligue 1 home games against PSG, but they have never lost four in a row at home against a single opponent in the top-flight.
That may need to change for PSG to stand a chance of a final-day turnaround at the top, although a draw would suffice should Lille lose to Angers.
Pochettino expects to be kept informed about Lille's progress but is urging his players not to be distracted.
"I think it will be difficult not to keep tabs on it," Pochettino said. "The most important thing is that the players are fully focused on what they have to do, which is winning the game, so that if something happens in Angers we will not have a problem ourselves.
"What matters is winning and hoping that something goes our way in the game with Lille."
Club Brugge 1-1 Fiorentina (3-4 agg): Viola seal Europa Conference League final return
Lucas Beltran was Fiorentina's hero as his late penalty in a 1-1 draw with Club Brugge ensured they progressed to the Europa Conference League final.
Beltran held his nerve from the spot to score an 85th-minute equaliser, earning a draw on the night but a 4-3 aggregate victory.
Fiorentina won the first leg 3-2, but Hans Vanaken's 20th-minute opener levelled the tie, on Wednesday.
Christian Kouame hit the woodwork twice for Fiorentina, but the pressure finally told when Brandon Mechele caught M'Bala Nzola with a high boot.
Beltran made no mistake, with Fiorentina holding firm to seal their place in the final in Athens on May 29.
Fiorentina lost last season's final to West Ham, and the Serie A club will now face either Olympiacos or Aston Villa.
Data Debrief: Back-to-back finals for Viola
Fiorentina have reached a European final for the sixth time in their history, and the second time in a row, though they have only won one of their previous five attempts.
They have only achieved that feat once before, which was back in 1961 and 1962.
Rodgers promises Celtic's 'best version' in Old Firm clash
Brendan Rodgers has promised Celtic will be at their very best when they take on Rangers in the Old Firm derby on Saturday.
Rodgers’ side have a three-point advantage over their rivals and a superior goal difference going into the game, while a victory over Rangers would move them six points clear with just two games left to play.
Following the 3-3 draw in the Old Firm in April, Rangers stuttered with a draw and a defeat at the end of the first phase, while Celtic have won each of their last three matches to take control of the title race.
Going into the final league derby of the season, Rodgers is confident that his team are ready for the big test.
"When I look at the injuries and disruptions we've had this season, last weekend was about there in terms of availability, fitness and where the team is at," Rodgers told CelticTV.
"It's as good a place as we've been all season. When we will arrive into this weekend's game, this will be the best version of the team since I've been here."
Rodgers expects a raucous atmosphere at Celtic Park and highlighted how that helps the players in big matches.
He added: "The crowd in the Hearts game was brilliant for us. The emotion rolls down from the stands, and you see what it gives the players and how they respond to that.
"We will need the same at the weekend and I know we will get it. The supporters are liking what they see in the team. It should be a great occasion, and I’m really looking forward to it."
Leverkusen motivated by Roma loss in 2022-23
Bayer Leverkusen will use last campaign's Europa League loss against Roma as motivation to get the job done this time, so says Xabi Alonso.
Leverkusen were knocked out by Roma after a goalless draw in the second leg of the Europa League semis last season, losing the tie 1-0 on aggregate.
But a few things have changed since then with Alonso's side, who are now on an extraordinary 48-match unbeaten run this campaign, ending Bayern Munich's 11-year stranglehold on the Bundesliga title to secure their first trophy since 1993.
They are also a step closer to a treble, having beaten Roma 2-0 away in the first leg last week and reaching the DFB-Cup final against Kaiserslautern.
"We haven't forget (forgotten) last season, we felt it. We need to use this energy and hopeful we can celebrate at the end. We will put all of our focus on the full 90 minutes. We want to deserve our win and make the final in Dublin," Alonso told reporters.
The Spaniard, however, said Leverkusen will have to be on their toes despite their advantage as he believes Roma will continue to be dangerous opponents under manager Daniele De Rossi, who replaced Jose Mourinho in January.
"A second leg is always a dangerous situation no matter the result before," Alonso said.
"We are preparing to play well with good motivation and at our own game. We want to be aggressive, control and defend well as a team.
"We are expecting Roma to come with the hope of qualifying."
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