Coupe de France | Round of 16

Feb 5, 2025 at 7.45pm UK

Stade Centre Formation EAG 1

Stade Briochin vs Nice

Match preview

Nice are overwhelming favourites to reach the last 16, but their recent results suggest that they have not prepared themselves in the best possible way.

In Europe, in particular, Nice have been miserable, with only Qarabag finishing below them in the 36-team Europa League table, and last Thursday they limped out of the competition with a draw at home to Bodo/Glimt.

It means Franck Haise's men have failed to win any of their eight league games in the Europa League, although they do have two wins to their name in the competition.

The Ligue 1 side needed penalties to beat US Corte after playing over an hour with 10 men, before beating second-tier Bastia 1-0 in the last round.

The 2022 finalists reached the quarter-finals last season, where they were beaten by Paris Saint-Germain, but that was just one of two times in 14 years that they have progressed beyond the last 16.

Their domestic form has been promising, however, with an eight-game unbeaten run in league and cup, although they conceded two late points at Toulouse at the weekend to drop out of the Ligue 1 top four.

It is almost three decades since Nice last won the Coupe de France in 1997, just three years after these two sides last met in the 1993-94 Ligue 2 season, when Nice won the title thanks to four points from a Briochin side that finished sixth as a newly-promoted club.

Despite the huge gap in stature and leagues, Briochin's sensational form of late will still pose a challenge to Nice.

Guillaume Allanou's side are unbeaten in 10 games, a run they extended with a 1-1 draw against Avranches on Friday.

After taking just five points from their first six Ligue 4 games of the season, Briochin have since picked up 18 points from a possible 27, with the start of the Coupe de France campaign coinciding with their upturn in form.

In the early rounds, Briochin comfortably overcame Paimpol and Saint-Malo on penalties before causing a shock in the last 64 by knocking out Ligue 1 side Le Havre thanks to Stan Janno's lone goal.

Briochin then won four straight matches after that cup upset, including a last-32 win over Annecy on penalties after Christian Konan's late equaliser.

The club have now gone the furthest since 1966, when Strasbourg beat them 5-2 at this stage, with their only notable recent runs in the competition coming in 2018-19 and 2019-20, when they reached the last 64.

Recent Performance

Stade Briochin Coupe de France form:WWWW

Stade Briochin form (all competitions):DWWWWD

Nice Coupe de France form:WW

Nice form (all competitions):WLLWDD

Team News

There could be just one change to the team that beat Annecy, as Aimeric Gomis-Maillard may have done enough to earn his place back in the side after scoring at the weekend, having been sent off against Saint-Malo and benched against Annecy.

Striker Konan has been instrumental in their recent form, scoring the equaliser that forced a penalty shootout against Annecy and scoring another in last week's win over Saint-Malo.

There should be plenty of experience in the backline for the hosts, with first-choice trio Benjamin Angoua, Christophe Kerbrat and Hugo Boudin having a combined age of 108.

Nice coach Haise has often named a strong side in this competition and could do so again with his side now out of Europe.

Haise has used reserve goalkeeper Maxime Dupe in cup competitions in place of Marcin Bulka, while Dante and Gaetan Laborde may be rested, but otherwise Nice could be at full strength.

Terem Moffi, Jeremie Boga, Morgan Sanson and Pablo Rosario remain the Ligue 1 side's injured quartet.

Possible starting lineup

Stade Briochin possible starting lineup:

L'Hostis; Le Marer, Angoua, Kerbrat, Boudin, Diakite; Gomis-Maillard, Beghin, Zakharyan; Achahbar, Konan

Nice possible starting lineup:

Dupe; Mendy, Ndayishimiye, Abdelmonem, Bard; Boudaoui, Bouanani, Camara; Cho, Moukoko, Guessand