Coupe de France Finals Preview & Analysis
Surprise Final as Nantes Take on Toulouse
Nantes Going for Back-to-Back Titles
Bettors won’t find some of France’s heavy hitters in the Coupe de France final, like PSG or Marseille. However, defending champions Nantes are going for an unlikely pair of titles. It’s conceivable that Nantes get relegated to Ligue 2 this season but they can add a silver lining to their season on Saturday. They’ll take on newly promoted Ligue 1 club Toulouse, who are in the first-ever Coupe de France final. One of these two clubs will lift the trophy and play in next season’s Europa League despite neither being in Ligue 1’s top half. We’ll take a closer look at the odds, injuries, and factors affecting the match in our Coupe de France Finals preview and analysis.
Coupe de France Final: Nantes vs Toulouse Game Info:
Nantes vs Toulouse
Day/Time: Location: Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France
Stream: Fox Soccer Plus
Head-to-Head:
Nantes defeated Toulouse 3-1 back in August at the Stade de la Beaujoire. Zakaria Aboukhlal scored the opener for Toulouse but Nantes fought back with three unanswered second-half strikes. These teams have met 17 times in the past decade, in all competitions. During that time, Nantes lead the series 7-4 and there have also been six draws. Coupe de France Finals previews and analysis note that Nantes have been victorious in five of the last seven head-to-head matchups.
Back-to-Back Finals Appearances for Nantes
Key Injuries: M Pedro Chirivella (Out)
Last season, Nantes went on an incredible run to win their first Coupe de France title since 2000. Ludovic Blas scored the winning goal in the final to defeat Nice 1-0. As a result, Nantes made their first European appearance since 2001. Now, history could repeat itself as Nantes go for consecutive titles.
This time around, Nantes managed impressive wins over both Lens and Lyon to advance to the final. Even though they’re in 16th place in the French soccer standings, a trophy can be the silver lining to their season. Goalkeeper Alban Lafont also looks set to face his former team on Saturday.
The defense has been an issue for Les Canaris in recent weeks, as they’ve conceded two goals in their last three matches. However, they have conceded just two goals in five 2022-23 Coupe de France matches. The defending champions also managed to reach the playoff round of the Europa League this season. So, they’ve demonstrated their prowess in cup competitions over the last few seasons.
While most of the squad is healthy, midfielder Pedro Chirivella is out for the rest of the season. Expect 2022 matchwinner Ludovic Blas to start in the middle of the park, though. It should be noted that Nantes hasn’t defeated a single team placed higher than 11th in Ligue 1 this season. They’ve also, somewhat fortuitously, advanced on penalties twice in the Coupe de France this season. Les Canaris will look to continue riding their luck on Saturday.
Toulouse Going for First Major Honor
Key Injuries: M Brecht Dejaegere (Day-to-Day)
Toulouse likely would have been content with just staying in Ligue 1 this season following their promotion. However, they’re threatening to win their first-ever major honor as a football club. They’ll make their first Coupe de France appearance on Saturday, in what is a winnable match. It’s true that Toulouse’s last two opponents were second-tier clubs but they did manage to knock out Reims and Ajaccio out of this competition. They’re also nine points ahead of Nantes in Ligue 1.
Coupe de France Finals previews and analyses are typically giving Toulouse a decent shot to win the title. They did win Ligue 2 last season and have some talented players. Branco van den Boomen leads the competition with four assists. Meanwhile, both Thijs Dallinga and Zakaria Aboukhlal have scored four Coupe de France goals. Captain and midfielder Brecht Dejaegere is questionable due to being in concussion protocol. Still, Toulouse come into this match having won three of their last four matches, in all competitions. They’ve also won all five of their previous Coupe de France matches outright.
In fact, Toulouse have outscored their opponents 20-4 in this season’s Coupe de France. In their first Semifinal appearance since 2009, Toulouse beat Annecy 2-1 behind goals from Aboukhlal and Fares Chaibi. Toulouse last played in the Europa League in the 2009-10 season and a win would mark a ceremonious return to European football.
Match Analysis and Odds:
A quick look at the odds board shows that this match is listed as a pick’em. In what’s expected to be a close match, Nantes pk displays even odds, while Toulouse pk comes in at -130. Earlier this season, Nantes did defeat Toulouse 3-1 but that was all the way back in August. Nantes have not put together consistent stretches of play this season and have won just two matches in a row outright once all season.
So, the Coupe de France odds price Toulouse as +140 moneyline favorites for this match. Toulouse’s attack has been solid this season. All of Thijs Dallinga, Branco van den Boomen, Zakaria Aboukhlal, and Fares Chaibi have more than ten goal contributions.
Only Ludovic Blas and Mostafa Mohamed have reached that figure for Nantes. Nantes has also barely scored over a goal per game in Ligue 1, while Toulouse has averaged 1.5 goals per game. With their goalscoring woes, Nantes are +175 underdogs at the Stade de France.
Still, nine of the 11 players who started for Nantes in last year’s Coupe de France final triumph are available. That experience could certainly come in handy here. Cup-winning coach Antoine Kombouare is also still with the club. Toulouse coach Philippe Montanier reached the Coupe de France final in 2014 with Rennes but has never won it. A draw would mean the match goes into extra time and one displays +250 odds for the match. Meanwhile, over 2½ goals sit at -125 odds in what has the potential to be an exciting final.
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