In-form OIympique Lyonnais are set to take on Ligue 1 title winners Paris Saint-Germain in the final of the Coupe de France this evening.
The big day has finally arrived as Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Lyonnais are set to clash in the Coupe de France final tonight. Each have enjoyed legendary runs to win a competition that is more than one hundred years old, and the two will also battle at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille tonight against the backdrop of the impending departure of Kylian Mbappé, PSG’s record goalscorer.
To reach the final, Lyon overcame a pair of amateur sides — Pontarlier and Bergerac — in the Rounds of 64 and 32, respectively. In the Round of 16, they impressed in beating high-flying LOSC Lille at home, getting goals from Rayan Cherki and January signing Gift Orban in a 2-1 win. A nervy victory, on penalties, over Strasbourg, after a scoreless draw followed, before a comfortable 3-0 win over Ligue 2 side Valenciennes in the semifinals.
The Ligue 1 Uber Eats champions, PSG also faced a pair of amateur teams in their first two matches, handily beating US Revel 9-0 and Orléans 4-1. Things were far tougher from the Round of 16, on, though, as the capital side faced down a trio of European contenders in Stade Brestois, OGC Nice (who had beaten them in the league in September) and finally Stade Rennais in the semifinals.
Lyon vs PSG: Who's winning Coupe de France tonight? ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/0h8hPyR7Ii
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) May 25, 2024
To face Les Gones, Paris Saint-Germain will have to make do without Lucas Hernández after the French international suffered a season-ending injury. In his place, Luis Enrique will partner Marquinhos with either January signing and newly-minted Brazilian international Lucas Beraldo or veteran Danilo Pereira. Nuno Mendes, a player who has struggled with injury for long stretches of the season, should play at left back, while Mbappé will be one of a trio of French internationals to lead the attack as he joins Bradley Barcola, a surprise call-up for the European Championships, and Ousmane Dembélé, who led Ligue 1 in assists in his first season in Paris.
Lyon have a clean bill of health, and will rely heavily on a raft of January signings, as well as a sense of belief forged since the appointment of Pierre Sage, to hope to upset PSG. Nemanja Matic has been a reliable presence at the base of midfield in Sage’s 4-3-3, while Saïd Benrahma has added a spark on the left flank. In goal, Lucas Perri is expected to get the nod over Anthony Lopes, having been outstanding in the competition since his arrival from Botafogo in the winter.
In the two teams’ matches this season, PSG have had the beating of Lyon, and decisively so, beating them 4-1 at home and away in Ligue 1. Despite the outcome of those matches, one would be foolish to look past a Lyon side who have played with a real joie de vivre under Sage, and will also be playing without the pressure surely felt by their opponents following a frustrating UEFA Champions League exit. Whatever the outcome, the match will showcase two of the league’s top attacking sides in 2024, and is sure to thrill.
Read more:
>> Retro: Lyon’s 2012 Coupe de France win
>> Five legendary Coupe de France Finals
