2022 begins with the Coupe de France. From Sunday to Tuesday, 32 very disparate level teams will compete for a place in 8th. Here are the five meetings not to be missed.
Versailles (N2) – La Roche-sur-Yon (N3)
Sunday will begin with a symbolic first duel of the Coupe de France. Versailles will host the Vendéens from La Roche-sur-Yon in a Petits Poucets match. The visitors, playing in National 3, are part of the four “small” teams of the competition, which evolve at the fifth national level. And after having disposed of Montauban (R2, 1-2) in the previous round, the case may get tough for La Roche. The Ile-de-France residents remain on 4 straight victories, including one in the previous round against Sarre-Union (1-0), which also plays in N3.
Chauvigny (N3) – Marseille (L1)
OM will be vengeful on Sunday. Last year, the Olympians were eliminated at the same stage of the competition by Canet-Roussillon (N2, 2-1). A humiliation for Nasser Larguet’s last match, before Jorge Sampaoli took over the reins of the team. On the chauvinist side, the players will try to look good against the best defense in Ligue 1. They can only count on 5,000 supporters, instead of the 13,000 that the Beaublanc stadium can accommodate. The prefect of Haute-Vienne has indeed decreed the advance of government measures to Sunday to avoid overflows. Little hope all the same for the locals: two years earlier, on the same ground, Trélissac (N2) had pushed OM to the penalty spot, before losing with honors (1-1, 2-4 TAB ).
SEE AS WELL – The joy of the Parisians after their victory in the Coupe de France
Montpellier (L1) – Strasbourg (L1)
Second inter-elite duel on Sunday after Brest-Bordeaux, this meeting will bring together two very successful teams. Fifth in Ligue 1, Montpellier is on a cloud with 4 wins in a row. Carried by Teji Savanier, the Hérault people produce an attractive and offensive game. Semi-finalists last year, the men of Dall’Oglio will be keen to add a touch of extra madness in their excellent season. Faced with them, Strasbourg will be able to count on its attackers on fire for a few weeks. With 18 goals between them, the Ajorque-Diallo pair rolls on the defenses and allows the Alsatians to be in the first part of the standings. In a thick fog, it is this same Diallo who had overcome Valenciennes (L2, 1-0), in the previous round.
Valves (N2) – PSG (L1)
Two o’clock. This is the time it took Vannes OC to sell the 1,700 places reserved for supporters. In the parking lot of Leclerc in the city, a queue stretched over several hours, inevitably making people disappointed. Broadcast on the public service, fans of Vannes will have the opportunity to shine against the Parisian stars. After having mastered ES Wasquehal (N3, 4-0), the Bretons dream of an exploit against Mbappé and others. All will have in mind the exceptional course of their predecessors, in the Coupe de la Ligue, unhappy finalists in 2009. Will this be enough to compete with the opposing armada? Nothing is less sure.
Lens (L1) – Small (L1)
A derby in the Coupe de France. At the end of these round of 16, Lensois and Lille will meet on Tuesday evening in Bollaert for an explosive poster. 5,000 Sang et Or supporters will be behind their team against the sworn enemy. In difficulty for several weeks, the Lensois were overtaken by the Mastiffs in the standings just before the break. These same Mastiffs will want to redeem themselves from the derby lost at the start of the season, the first in 15 years. This poster promises a great football match between two rival teams with an attractive game. Especially since this time, there will not be enough supporters to spoil the party.
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