Paris St Germain defender Zoumana Camara believes his side's spirit has kept them in the Ligue 1 title race.

Defeat to Lille last weekend meant that catching the top-ranked Montpellier looked a step too far for Carlo Ancelotti's expensively-assembled side.

Midweek results changed all that, though. While Montpellier were held by Evian, PSG secured a precious 2-0 home victory over St Etienne.

As a result, PSG trail their rivals by three points and, with Montpellier not in action until Monday when they head to Rennes, they have a chance to vault them should they win on Sunday.

And such a scenario is a direct result of their spirit, according to Camara.

"Everyone said we were dead and buried after the Lille game," he told his club's official TV channel.

"People were even saying that we would even lose second place. But we're still here - right here! Our spirit is strong and we are back in the hunt.

"You can see how important every game is and that every team can drop points. We are only three points behind."

The experienced Camara was one of PSG's stand-out performers against St Etienne, offering a steadying influence at a time when tensions were high. He has been a bit part-player this season but it did not show.

He was not thinking of that, though, adding: "My personal performance isn't the most important thing. Some players play more often than others, but the most important thing is that we bring something to the team.

"When we do play, we want to help the team reach its goals. I am happy to have helped."

Camara is likely to retain his spot for the meeting with Valenciennes - a side who are still not mathematically safe from the drop but who are unlikely to be sucked into any late drama.

"We have to approach the Valenciennes game as calmly as possible," said defender Sylvain Armand.

"We need to build on the win over St Etienne if we are to stay in the race. It's up to us to do the job."