Coupe de France | Round of 64

Dec 22, 2024 at 1.45pm UK

Stade Geoffroy-Guichard

St Etiennevs.Marseille

Match preview

The Greens enter the tournament on the back of three consecutive top-flight defeats and 10 losses in all competitions, leaving them third from bottom in the league.

One of those defeats came against this weekend's opponents, who beat Les Verts 2-0 earlier this month in Dall'Oglio's penultimate game at the club.

Although Eirik Horneland has since been appointed, the Norwegian will not return until after Christmas, leaving Laurent Huard in charge of the Marseille clash.

It will be interesting to see if the Frenchman can pull off an unexpected upset against an opponent they have lost to on three successive occasions.

De Zerbi may be facing a temporary opponent in the opposite dugout, but there is no denying the Italian's desire to secure another victory over the struggling home side.

Adrien Rabiot and Mason Greenwood scored for Les Olympiens on 8 December, and the travelling support will be hoping for another routine win that would see Les Minots record a fourth successive victory over Saint-Etienne.

Although they followed up that 2-0 win with a 1-1 draw at Lille last Saturday, Marseille go into the Round of 64 unbeaten in four matches since a shock 3-1 home defeat to Auxerre in early November, and will be hoping to avoid a similar result against an opponent they usually fancy their chances of beating.

Having lost on penalties to FC Annecy and Rennes in successive seasons, the ten-time Coupe de France champions will be forgiven for hoping to avoid the penalty shootout on Sunday.

However, with Marseille second in Ligue 1 - albeit 10 points behind PSG, who have played a game more - and out of the European picture, the Olympique de Marseille will be keen to avoid defeat at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.

Recent Performance

Saint-Etienne form (all competitions):WLWLLL

Marseille form (all competitions):WLWWWD

Team News

Saint-Etienne interim boss Huard will be without Thomas Monconduit (leg), Anthony Briancon (knee), Ibrahima Wadji (muscle), Mickael Nade (knee), Augustine Boakye (leg), Yvann Macon (knee) and Ben Old (knee) through injury.

The hosts will be hoping Ligue 1's top scorer Zuriko Davitashvili (five goals) can end his goal drought this weekend, having not found the net since scoring a brace in a 4-2 defeat at Angers in October.

Since Davitashvili's brace, Les Verts have had four different scorers - Nade, Ibrahim Sissoko, Benjamin Bouchouari and Lucas Stassin - perhaps highlighting the club's inability to rely on a single source of goals.

Despite a shorter injury list, Marseille will be without long-term absentee Valentin Carboni (knee) and the quartet of Elye Wahi (muscle), Faris Moumbagna (knee), Ulisses Garcia (calf) and Ruben Blanco (knee).

Despite firing wide against Lille, Greenwood has scored twice in the last three away games, including Sunday's visit to Olympique de Marseille, and the striker will be looking to add to his tally of 10 goals this season.

Possible starting lineup

Saint-Etienne possible starting lineup:

Larsonneur; Appiah, Batubinsika, Abdelhamid, Petrot, Cornud; Bouchouari, Ekwah, Mouton; Davitashvili, Stassin

Marseille possible starting lineup:

De Lange; Murillo, Balerdi, Kondogbia; Henrique, Hojbjerg, Rongier, Merlin; Greenwood, Maupay, Rabiot