Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Coupe de France match.
A week before their Champions League Round of 16 tie with Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain will use the Coupe de France match against Stade Briochin as a rehearsal. The National 2 side is unlikely to withstand the in-form Parisians for long, as they are on an impressive winning streak.
Stade Briochin
Stade Briochin have earned their place in the quarter-finals with wins over Le Havre (1:0) and Nice (2:1). However, their performance against Nice was less convincing, with expected goals (1.67–1.42 in xG) and shots (14–10) favouring the opposition. Recently, Stade Briochin suffered a home league defeat to La Roche (0:1), a mid-table team in National 2.
Paris Saint-Germain
A hard-fought yet deserved 3:2 victory over Olympique Lyonnais on Sunday marked Paris Saint-Germain’s eighth consecutive win. During this run, they have scored 29 goals, with Ousmane Dembélé leading Ligue 1’s scoring charts with 17 goals and 4 assists in 21 matches. Luis Enrique is likely to experiment with new combinations from the start and to give Matvei Safonov further opportunities after his clean sheet against Le Mans (2:0) in the previous round.
Stade Briochin vs Paris Saint-Germain Prediction
A fourth-tier team is unlikely to trouble Paris Saint-Germain at any stage. Stade Briochin will not be able to avoid a comprehensive defeat, while the Parisians will use this match to rotate their reserves ahead of important European fixtures.
