Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Coupe de France match.
The triumphant run of the little-known Espaly Saint-Marcel in the French Cup is likely to come to an end at the round of 32. The home setting is unlikely to aid the underdogs against the motivated Paris Saint-Germain side, as they are aiming to capture all domestic titles this season.
Espaly Saint-Marcel
In this season's Coupe de France, Espaly have secured three victories, notably triumphing over Dijon in a penalty shootout (2:1). It's worth noting that Dijon played in Ligue 3 and were down to ten men from the 44th minute against Espaly—therefore, this passage should not be considered a sensational achievement. Even against equal opponents, Espaly employed a cautious 5-4-1 formation—two layers of defence are unlikely to be sufficient against the star-studded Parisians.
Paris Saint-Germain
In 2025, Paris Saint-Germain extended their winning streak, which began in the first half of December, to six victories. In the round of 64 of the Cup against RC Lens (2:1 after penalties), Matvey Safonov shone with three saves during regular time and two more in the penalty shootout. The Russian is likely to start again in this tournament, with speedy forwards supporting him in attack—PSG lead Ligue 1 in xG (54.42).
Espaly Saint-Marcel vs Paris Saint-Germain Prediction
Paris Saint-Germain are considered the favourites. For the Parisians, a comfortable victory is crucial to allow them to focus on the league and the Champions League, so we're expecting goals from them.
