Treble-seeking PSG still the top team in France

By Julien Pretot PARIS (Reuters) - Paris St Germain made up for another European failure by clinching their third Ligue 1 title in a row on Saturday after a tense season as they took the second step towards what would be an unprecedented domestic treble. PSG lifted the title after winning 2-1 at Montpellier while their nearest challengers Olympique Lyonnais were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Girondins Bordeaux. The Parisians have 80 points ahead of Lyon on 72 with one round of matches left. PSG agreed to significantly limit their spending after a Financial Fair Play settlement with UEFA and, while that arguably hit their chances in the Champions League, it did not damage their domestic ambitions. After lifting the league title and the League Cup, which they won against Bastia last month, PSG take on second division AJ Auxerre in the French Cup final on May 30. Laurent Blanc's side , eliminated in the last eight of the Champions League by Barcelona, were pushed hard domestically by Olympique Lyonnais whose president Jean-Michel Aulas hit out at PSG's supposed favourable treatment by the soccer authorities. The Parisians made a slow start to the season, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic sidelined for two months with a heel injury from mid-September, allowing Olympique de Marseille to take command. The talismanic Sweden striker, who has scored 19 league goals this term, had less impact than last season and plunged the club into a mini crisis with derogatory comments about France after a league defeat by Girondins Bordeaux in March. He also insulted a referee that day in a rant that earned him a four-match ban. The suspension was later reduced to three games after the French League (LFP) accepted a recommendation from the French Olympic Committee, a move that drew heavy criticism from Aulas. PSG's standout player in the closing stages of the season was Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani with eight goals from his last four outings. The champions went top on March 20 after beating Lorient 3-1 - the first of an eight-match winning streak as Lyon's form went downhill. Seven-times champions Lyon were hoping for a first Ligue 1 title since 2008 but slipped to second after a home defeat by Nice and were then always playing catch-up. Behind them, Monaco, with 68 points, Olympique de Marseille and St Etienne (both 66) are fighting for third place to win a spot in the third qualifying round of the Champions League. (Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Alan Baldwin)