Although off-pitch political tension has dominated the headlines so far, this evening’s Coupe de France final does see two underdogs take to the field, with a spot in Europe at stake.
Antoine Kombouaré’s Nantes will have the chance to retain their title and get some brief respite from their relegation battle, while Toulouse can secure the crowning achievement of an impressive post-promotion campaign.
For Les Canaris, all eyes will be on captain and attacking midfielder Ludovic Blas, who scored the winner in last season’s final against Nice and was again decisive in this year’s semi-final, with a top-corner strike to send his team to Paris. The regular fixtures of the team – goalkeeper Alban Lafont, midfielder Moussa Sissoko – are expected to start, while Mostafa Mohamed will likely start over Andy Delort up front. The only uncertainty, according to L’Équipe, is over the left-wing position, with Ignatius Ganago, Moses Simon, and Florent Mollet all in contention.
Toulouse captain Brecht Dejaegerre is set to return to the starting eleven following a concussion lay-off, returning to his usual position alongside Dutch midfield pair Branco van den Boomen and Stijn Spierings. Their in-form compatriot Thijs Dallinga starts up front, flanked by Zakaria Aboukhlal, who scored in the semi-final against Annecy.
Nantes predicted XI v Toulouse:
Alban Lafont – Fabien Centonze, Jean-Charles Castelletto, Nicolas Pallois, Quentin Merlin – Moussa Sissoko, Andrei Girotto, Samuel Moutoussamy – Ludovic Blas, Mustafa Mohamed, Ignatius Ganago.
Toulouse predicted XI v Nantes:
Kjetil Haug – Mikkel Desler, Anthony Rouault, Logan Costa, Gabriel Suazo – Brecht Dejaegere, Sitjn Spierings, Branco van den Boomen – Zakaria Aboukhlal, Thijs Dallinga, Ratão.
GFFN | Raphaël Jucobin
