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Marseille's forward Lucho Gonzalez kicks the ball during their French L1 match vs Boulogne-sur-Mer on April 17, at the Liberation stadium in Boulogne-sur-Mer. Gonzalez says his side cannot afford to take their foot off the pedal as they close in on a first French title since 1992.

Didier Deschamps's side take a five-point lead into their home game with fourth-bottom Saint Etienne on Saturday and with five games remaining are in pole position to end their long wait for the league crown.

They approach the match on the back of a six-game winning streak but, with testing games against Lille, Auxerre and Rennes still to come, Lucho has urged his team-mates to remain focused.

"Right now everything's going well; we?re in the lead," said the Argentine, who signed from FC Porto last summer.

"I think we can fulfill the club's objectives for the season, but we mustn't forget that there are five matches to go and that our match on Sunday will be very tough.

"We can't afford to let up, we mustn't relax at all. Ligue 1 is the big time, a very physical league where in every match, either side can win."

Marseille, who have already won this season's League Cup, will meet second-placed Auxerre in a potential title decider on April 30 and Jean Fernandez's men warm up for that match with a trip to Toulouse on Sunday.

Auxerre's 11-goal top scorer Ireneusz Jelen has returned to the training pitch after sustaining knee and back injuries in last weekend's 4-1 defeat of Lorient but may not be fit enough for a starting place.

With only six points separating the teams between second and sixth place, the race to secure a top-five finish and a place in European competition next season looks set to go the distance.

Fourth-placed Montpellier, who have won just one of their last seven league games, visit Nancy on Saturday, while fifth-placed Lille can close to within two points of Auxerre if they win at third-bottom Le Mans.

"On Saturday in Le Mans we absolutely have to win, even if we're not playing brilliantly," said Lille midfielder Yohan Cabaye, who scored twice and set up another in his side's 4-0 demolition of Monaco last weekend.

"That's been the difference between teams like Marseille and us -- they can kill matches off even when they're not on song."

Defending champions Bordeaux are 11 points behind Marseille in sixth with a game in hand after a dreadful run of form that has effectively scuppered their bid to retain the title they won last year.

Laurent Blanc's side will be seeking a first win in five league games when they visit eighth-placed Lorient but have lost a significant number of first-team players to injury or suspension.

They will be without goalkeeper Cedric Carrasso, centre-back Marc Planus, defensive midfielder Fernando and striker Fernando Cavenaghi through injury, while centre-back Michael Ciani, left-back Benoit Tremoulinas and winger Jussie are all suspended after last weekend's ill-tempered 2-2 draw with Lyon.

Playmaker Yoann Gourcuff, meanwhile, has hit out at the media for their role in Les Girondins' recent collapse.

"Last season, the press were on Lyon's back," he said in a press conference on Thursday. "This year it's Bordeaux's turn and all that creates an atmosphere, a climate. We've lost enthusiasm because of you (the media)."

Third-placed Lyon, who lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich in the away leg of their Champions League semi-final on Wednesday, have postponed their scheduled match with French Cup finalists Monaco until May 12.

At the bottom of the table, Boulogne-sur-Mer will join already-relegated Grenoble in Ligue 2 if they lose at Sochaux and Saint-Etienne avoid defeat against Marseille.

Fixtures

Saturday (1700GMT unless otherwise stated)

Le Mans v Lille, Lorient v Bordeaux, Nancy v Montpellier, Nice v Grenoble, Sochaux v Boulogne, Paris Saint-Germain v Rennes (1900GMT)

Sunday (1500GMT unless otherwise stated)

Lens v Valenciennes, Toulouse v Auxerre, Marseille v Saint-Etienne (1900GMT)