The semi-final opener of the Coupe de France will see division two side Dunkerque take on Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain at Stade Pierre-Mauroy on Tuesday evening.
This will be the first-ever meeting between the two sides, with the Parisians looking to extend their domestic dominance, while the Seasiders aim to keep their fairytale run in the competition alive.
Match preview
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In what has now become routine, PSG stretched their unbeaten run in French competitions to 35 matches and their winning streak to 10 after thrashing Saint-Etienne 6-1 in their most recent outing.
That emphatic victory saw Luis Enrique‘s men maintain their 21-point lead at the Ligue 1 summit with just seven games remaining, meaning they are now just one point away from securing the title for a fourth consecutive season.
With that virtually wrapped up, the Parisians are well on course for another clean sweep of domestic silverware, having already lifted the Super Cup in January after claiming the domestic double last term.
Les Parisiens secured a record-extending 15th Coupe de France title last season by overcoming Lyon in the final, and their title defence has been relatively smooth, aside from a tense round of 64 encounter where they needed penalties to edge past Lens.
Since then, PSG have cruised past Espaly with a 4-2 victory in the round of 32, dispatched third-tier Le Mans 2-0 in the last 16 and dismantled fourth-tier Stade Briochin 7-0 to book their place in the semi-finals.
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For second-tier Dunkerque, the dream of gracing the bright lights of Stade de France on May 24 remains very much alive after a string of giant-killing performances saw them reach this stage for the first time in their history.
While they faced a fair share of lower-division opposition early in their campaign, their toughest tests came in the last two rounds against Europe-chasing Ligue 1 sides, but they stood firm, edging Lille on penalties before producing a stunning comeback to knock out Brest.
Trailing by two, the Seasiders were lifted by unlikely scorers, with defender Vincent Sasso‘s 65th-minute strike setting the stage before fellow centre-back Opa Sangante, who came on as a substitute, made a stunning impact by netting twice in his 26-minute cameo to complete the turnaround.
Although Luis Castro‘s men will be hoping to pull off yet another shock, their recent form is hardly inspiring, having suffered three consecutive Ligue 2 defeats, the latest being a 2-0 loss to Bastia last Friday.
Team News
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With PSG boasting depth and versatility across all positions, Enrique has never hesitated to rotate his squad, as was evident in their last outing.
The in-form Ousmane Dembele started on the bench but made an appearance, alongside Vitinha, Nuno Mendes, Presnel Kimpembe and Ibrahim Mbaye, and several of them are expected to start on Tuesday.
Captain Marquinhos was an unused substitute, while Achraf Hakimi sat out as a precaution, though the latter has since returned to training, and both are in contention for a starting berth.
First-choice goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was rested as Matvei Safonov featured, but the Italian is likely to return between the sticks, despite the latter having played in PSG’s previous three Coupe de France outings.
On the injury front, third-choice goalkeeper Arnau Tenas and creative midfielder Lee Kang-in remain sidelined as they continue their recovery.
For Dunkerque, Ewen Jaouen is expected to reclaim his place in goal, having featured in their last five matches in the competition.
Interestingly, Sangante’s brace against Brest made him the club’s top scorer in the tournament, but this time, the attacking burden will primarily rest on the shoulders of Naatan Skytta, Enzo Bardeli, Yacine Bammou and Gaetan Courtet, who have collectively netted 26 goals across Ligue 2 and the French Cup.
Dunkerque possible starting lineup:
Jaouen; Abner, Sasso, Sangante, Georgen; Raghouber; Rivera, Bardeli, Skytta, Bammou; Courtet
Paris Saint-Germain possible starting lineup:
Donnarumma; Mendes, Kimpembe, Marquinhos, Hakimi; Neves, Ruiz, Vitinha; Dembele, Ramos, Barcola
We say: Dunkerque 0-3 Paris Saint-Germain
Despite Dunkerque’s remarkable journey, facing a PSG side that has dominated French football is a daunting task, and with the defending champions in relentless form, anything short of a commanding victory would be unexpected.
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