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French Cup - Espaly Saint Marcel VS Paris Saint Germain (PSG) Prediction
France Cup - Espaly Saint Marcel VS Paris Saint Germain (PSG)
Match Time:16-01-2025 04:00 Thursday (GMT+8)
Football Livescore | Match Prediction & Tips
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Espaly
One of the underdogs in National 3 - the fifth tier of French football, has already written a remarkable chapter in their cup history this year. Previously, the team had never managed to reach the main draw of the tournament, being stopped in the seventh preliminary round in 2015 and 2023. However, 2024 marks a breakthrough for coach Lionel Vaillant's side. In their journey to the Round of 32, they overcame amateur teams "Biarritz-Bretenu" 1-0 and "Cozé-Chaptel" 3-0.
The real sensation came in their match against "Dijon" from the third division. "Espaly" managed to quickly level the score after conceding a goal in the 70th minute and then prevailed in the penalty shootout, converting 4 out of 5 attempts while their opponents failed to score twice. The subsequent draw for the next stage brought them the monumental challenge of facing PSG - a rival of this caliber has never before graced the club's history in Sen-Marseille. The enthusiasm surrounding the match is evident, as tickets sold out in just one hour, ensuring a full house at the Clermont rugby club stadium, with an anticipated 15,000 fans in attendance, including 3,000 traveling supporters from the capital. President of "Espaly", Christian Perbe, expressed hopes that his fans will provide robust support for the team in this larger-than-usual arena, as they usually play at their home ground, "Viuze".
"Espaly" will try to showcase their best abilities on the field. However, for a fifth-tier outsider, this task seems almost insurmountable. Nevertheless, in recent times, Vaillant's team has displayed consistent performance, remaining unbeaten in their last seven matches across all competitions. At home, they boast five consecutive games without loss, three of which ended in draws. "Espaly" regularly finds the net, and if they achieve more than one goal, they have won 9 out of 10 times in 2024. However, the caliber of the upcoming opponent, PSG, makes it challenging to anticipate a continuation of their successful streak.
PSG
While it may be a historic event for "Espaly", for PSG, it is just routine, as the Parisian side will play in the Round of 32 of the Coupe de France for the tenth consecutive time since their defeat to "Montpellier" in 2014. However, it's worth noting that this time Enrique's men came close to repeating that negative outcome. In the 66th minute, a recent transfer to "Manchester City", Husanov, nearly sealed victory for his new club against "Lance". Thankfully, PSG quickly equalized through Ramos. In the penalty shootout, the Parisians successfully converted all four of their attempts, while their opponents failed to capitalize on two chances.
In January, PSG faces two crucial Champions League fixtures against "Manchester City" and "Stuttgart". Currently, the Parisians find themselves outside the top 24, with their place in the knockout stage very much in doubt. Nevertheless, PSG is serious about the Coupe de France. After a two-year absence from the finals, having reached it seven times prior and winning six, they managed to reclaim the trophy last year, defeating "Lyon" 2-1 in the final.
No one would be surprised if PSG wins the current edition as well, as they lead the tournament with a record number of victories, having won 15 of 20 finals in their history. Furthermore, PSG's performances in domestic competitions this season have been nearly flawless. They have only dropped points four times in the first round of Ligue 1, with zero losses recorded so far. On the road, the Parisians confidently dispatched their main rivals, triumphing 3-0 over "Marseille" and 4-2 against "Monaco", holding a seven-point lead over the closest challenger, "Olympic". Last weekend, PSG defeated "Saint-Etienne" 2-1, thanks to a double from Dembélé before halftime. In 2025, they already claimed one trophy, winning the Super Cup in Qatar against "Monaco", with Dembélé again scoring the decisive goal in added time. There is no doubt Enrique's team will strive to extend their impressive eight-match winning streak in the cup. Over the last 15 editions of the tournament, PSG has only lost once against a lower division team, which occurred in 2009 against "Rodez".
Espaly-Saint-Marcel possible starting lineup:
Etienne; Allaigre, Bendriss, Curt, Uzun, Mezaber; Ichane, Portal, Ait Boulaalam, Gjeci; Fournel
Paris Saint-Germain possible starting lineup:
Safonov; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Hernandez; Zaire-Emery, Vitinha, Neves; Mbaye, Ramos, Barcola
Espaly vs PSG Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
The two teams will meet for the first time in a competitive match.
The hosts have drawn four of their last six games in all competitions. They have scored one goal apiece in their last four games.
The visitors have conceded one goal each in five of their last six games in the Coupe de France.
Espaly have scored five goals while conceding just once in three games in the Coupe de France this season.
PSG are unbeaten in their last four away games, recording three wins. They have scored eight goals in these games while keeping two clean sheets.
The defending champions have suffered three losses across all competitions this season, with two being registered in away games.
Prediction: Espaly-Saint-Marcel 0-3 Paris Saint-Germain
Espaly barely got over the line against a third-tier side in Dijon, and they will be in tough against the best team in France at the moment, who have so much quality they can call upon.
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