Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Coupe de France match.
Throughout the Ligue 1 season, both Angers and Reims have consistently ranked among the league’s poorest attacks. It’s highly likely that this second head-to-head encounter of the season will be a lacklustre affair with limited chances, as neither side will be willing to take risks at this stage of the Cup.
Angers
Two weekends ago, Angers were fortunate to secure a 1:0 away victory against Reims. Across the entire match, the two sides managed just seven shots on target combined. At Angers’ home ground, the over 2.5 goals mark hasn’t been surpassed since the beginning of December (four consecutive matches). Against Marseille (0:2), the underdog generated a mere 0.49 xG and failed to register a single shot on target. Against Quevilly-Rouen Métropole (3:2) and Strasbourg (3:1), Angers benefited from defensive errors by their opponents, but without several injured players, they struggled to create chances.
Reims
In the French Cup Round of 16, Reims only overcame Bourgoin Jallieu on penalties (1:0). They have failed to score in their last four matches – against Rennes on Friday (0:1), they were down to ten men from the fifth minute following Cédric Kipré’s dismissal. The coaching staff will be hoping for an attacking transformation thanks to the partnership of Keito Nakamura and Junya Ito, but both Japanese players have also experienced a dip in form.
Angers vs Reims Prediction
It’s probable that Angers and Reims will play their second head-to-head match in nine days without a lot of dangerous moments. Predicting the eventual semi-finalist is difficult, but goals will certainly be scarce.
