The French Cup final between PSG and Reims will take place on May 24 at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis. PSG vs. Reims: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
PSG
The Parisians are the reigning champions of this tournament, having defeated Lyon 2-1 in the final of the previous edition. This marked PSG's 15th French Cup title, with 10 of them won in the 21st century. On their way to the decisive match of the current tournament, the team defeated 4 out of 5 of their opponents with a margin of at least 2 goals. PSG only encountered difficulties in the opening match when they edged out Lens in the round of 64 via a penalty shootout (1-1, 4-3 on penalties). Notably, PSG has scored 18 goals and conceded only 5 in this tournament.
- Both teams scored in 7 of PSG's last 10 French Cup matches.
- At least 3 goals were scored in 11 of the club's last 14 matches in this tournament.
- The team won with a handicap of (-1.5) in 8 of their last 11 French Cup matches.
Predicted lineup for PSG (4-3-3)
Matvey Safonov – Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Lucas Beraldo, Nuno Mendes – Warren Zaire-Emery, Vitinha, Joao Neves – Desire Doue, Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola.
Reims
The club has reached the French Cup final for the first time since 1977. Reims last won the trophy in the 1957/58 season. The path to the final was much more challenging for the team compared to PSG. Reims advanced past 3 out of 5 opponents via penalty shootouts, defeating Monaco (1-1, 3-1 on penalties), Bourgoin-Jallieu (0-0, 3-2 on penalties), and Angers (1-1, 5-3 on penalties). In regular time, the club won against two opponents – Stille-Mutzig in the opening match (3-1) and Cannes in the semi-final (2-1). Additionally, Reims eliminated two Ligue 1 representatives from the tournament, while PSG only ousted one.
- The team scored in 24 of their last 25 French Cup matches.
- The club is unbeaten in regular time over the last 7 matches in this tournament (3 wins, 4 draws).
- Reims has not conceded more than 2 goals in their last 7 French Cup matches.
Predicted lineup for Reims (4-5-1)
Yehvann Diouf – Hiroki Sekine, Cedric Kipre, Joseph Okumu, Sergio Akieme – Mori Gbane, Valentin Atangana Edoa, Junya Ito, Keito Nakamura, Mamadou Diakone – Hafiz Ibrahim.
Referee
Benoît Bastien (France)
Matches – 7 (French Cup, 2022/23–2023/24);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 14;
Average yellow cards per match – 2;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 24;
Penalties – 14%.
Match Prediction: PSG vs. Reims
The reigning tournament champions and Ligue 1 winners reached the final with relative ease. Only Lens managed to challenge the Parisians. It should be noted that PSG has dominated the French Cup in recent seasons, winning 8 titles since 2010. The capital club will undoubtedly be keen to add another trophy to their collection. While PSG's primary focus is on the upcoming Champions League final against Inter, they have sufficient time after this game to prepare for the Milan clash, so they are unlikely to sacrifice the French Cup final. I am confident that PSG has the motivation and squad depth to secure the title.
Moreover, Reims finds themselves in a challenging situation. Due to a poor finish in Ligue 1, Reims ended up in the relegation play-off zone and is now fighting for survival in play-off matches against Metz, with the match against PSG sandwiched in between. I don't believe Reims seriously expects to take the trophy from their illustrious opponent, as their main goal is to maintain their top-flight status. However, the nominal visitors are certainly capable of troubling PSG. Reims regularly finds the net in the French Cup and has scored in 24 of their last 25 matches in this tournament. Meanwhile, PSG plays an attacking style but lacks defensive solidity, conceding at least one goal in 7 of their last 10 national cup matches.
Even in Ligue 1, the champions have frequently retrieved the ball from their net, failing to keep a clean sheet in their last 6 league matches. There is no doubt that PSG will score, and it's worth noting that in the last 3 head-to-head meetings in Ligue 1, the upcoming opponents have both scored against each other. Therefore, my prediction is "Home Win + Both Teams to Score – Yes".
* The starting lineup for each team is based on their previous match in this tournament.
