CFA 2 side Chambery will attempt to continue their remarkable cup run when they meet Ligue 1 side Brest on Saturday afternoon, but it will take a great effort if the amateurs are to move into the last 16.
Already the Chambery squad have tails to regale acquaintances with in the future. Monaco were beaten on penalties in the previous round, leading to the sacking of Guy Lacombe, while Fesches Le Chatel were dispatched 9-0 back in the seventh round.
Brest are the best side the amateurs have yet faced, though they did lose their unbeaten record at home last weekend against Caen. Alex Dupont’s side will want to progress deep in the Coupe de France if possible, and they will see this tie as winnable, even if they have struggled a little away from home this term.
Angers – Girondins de Bordeaux
Already this season at the Stade Jean Bouin, Angers have accounted for Valenciennes in the Coupe de France, and the Ligue 2 outfit will be hoping to add the scalp of Bordeaux to their shelf on Saturday afternoon.
One man in the visiting side doubtless desperate to impress will be Henri Saivet, who has just moved on loan to the Maine-et-Loire club. Le SCO have come through each of their three previous ties by a solitary goal, and they would doubtless be delighted to have a similar result against their Ligue 1 guests.
Bordeaux won’t go into this game especially happy with life. They sit in the middle of the Ligue 1 table after suffering a defeat last weekend against Olympique de Marseille, but in slightly happier news Matthieu Chalme is back playing for the reserves and could be involved. Henrique, on the other hand, has suffered a setback on his return from injury and could miss the remainder of the campaign.
Nimes – Nancy
If there’s a prospect of a shock in the cup this weekend, Nimes might be the place to look, as the Ligue 2 side host a Nancy outfit who have drastically underperformed in 2011 to date.
Les Crocodiles only edged Championnat National side Frejus in the previous round, but their previous results have been formidable. Indeed, prior to last weekend’s draw against Chateauroux, Nimes had picked up six wins in their previous eight matches.
Nancy’s form is far less impressive. Amateur opposition in the form of Aurillac were only seen off on penalty kicks, while they have also lost Ligue 1 matches against Toulouse and Lille. Against les Dogues in midweek, they were beaten comprehensively 3-0, and it was clear that coach Pablo Correa was not impressed with the performance.
Fontenay-Vendee – Lorient
Lorient are the final Ligue 1 team to go into battle on Saturday, travelling to amateur side Fontenay in the early evening.
The Vendee side currently ply their football in France’s fourth flight – the CFA level – but have not performed well and go into the second half of the season with relegation a real threat. The Coupe de France has brought some real respite, but below Lorient’s reserves in the league, it would take an almighty upset if they were to win at the weekend.
Les Merlus are not a side who like travelling, however. In Ligue 1, Christian Gourcuff’s men have been distinctly suspect on the road, though they would not expect to have many problems against relatively meagre opposition. The 4-1 win they achieved at home against local rivals Vannes in the previous round was also a little flattering for them.
Valaux – Stade Rennais
Valaux will relish the visit of Rennes on Saturday night, though for the club who hail for the Division Honneur – the sixth level of the game in France – this is likely to be a bridge too far.
Jura Sud were eliminated 5-4 on penalties in the previous round, and before that Lons-le-Saunier and Valence were amongst the teams who fell to them. Quite comfortably the smallest team left in the draw, this is a dream fixture for them.
Rennes, meanwhile, will be aiming to continue the momentum that saw them sweep past Championnat National side Cannes 6-0 in the previous round and Arles-Avignon 4-0 in Le Championnat last weekend. Few problems are forecast for the Bretons, who should win this tie with a good deal to spare.
Agen – Paris Saint-Germain
Defending champions Paris Saint-Germain visit CFA 2 side Agen as they continue their quest to protect the trophy they picked up last May.
For the Garonne side, this is quite comfortably one of the biggest days in their 90-year history. Middle of their league, there is little remarkable about Agen, who have yet to beat a significant side in this season’s competition. Now they face one of the most difficult opponents left in the draw.
For PSG, this match should prove to be a formality, and they will certainly want to bounce back after being defeated 1-0 against Montpellier in the Coupe de la Ligue semi-final in midweek. Antoine Kombouare’s side have seen off many of France’s best teams this season, so Agen aren’t expected to give them too many issues.
Lille – Wasquehal
Ligue 1 leaders Lille flexed their muscles with a comfortable midweek success against Nancy, but they will now aim to progress in the Coupe de France with a home match against Wasquehal.
With the Europa League to consider as well as Le Championnat, there is little danger of les Dogues focussing completely on Sunday’s match, though coach Rudi Garcia did say in midweek that he wants to take games one at a time. LOSC should have close to a full squad available but are likely to employ some rotation.
Wasquehal proved themselves to be dangerous opponents in the previous round, when they eliminated a depleted Auxerre side. In the centre of the CFA2 table, their progress has been stunted by a profusion of draws, but if they were to achieve another on Sunday they would have to be pleased with their efforts.
Nice – Olympique Lyonnais
The big tie of the round comes on Sunday, when Nice meet a seemingly resurgent Olympique Lyonnais side.
Les Aiglons have not started 2011 well, despite ousting Creteil in the previous round. The Parisian club, who practise their football in the Championnat National, took the Stade du Ray outfit into penalties before the greater class of the top flight side finally told. In Le Championnat, Eric Roy’s side were brushed easily aside 2-0 by Lille.
Lyon, on the other hand, look far better than they did at any stage in the first half of the campaign. A solid 1-0 cup win over Caen got the year off to a positive start, but it was the manner in which they hammered Lorient 3-0 last weekend that really caught the eye. Though there appears likely to be little movement in the transfer window from OL, they could be a side to watch if they maintain that level.
