Defending Coupe de France champions Nantes will endeavour to continue their love affair with the competition when they take to the Stade de France turf for Saturday's final against Toulouse.
Les Canaris reached the final for the second successive year thanks to a 1-0 semi-final victory over Lyon, while the challengers scraped past second-tier Annecy to advance to the showpiece match for the first time ever.
Match preview
© Reuters
As was the case in 2022, Nantes left their Ligue 1 troubles at the door in the Coupe de France as Antoine Kombouare's cup specialities came to the fore, and the ex-Paris Saint-Germain head coach is on the brink of making lightning sensationally strike twice.
Since suffering a 4-2 defeat to Lens in the 2020-21 edition, Nantes - who overcame Nice in last year's final - have incredibly won each of their last 11 Coupe de France matches, springing a few surprises along the way in the current edition along with some underwhelming victories too.
Kombouare's side eliminated Vire, Thaon and Angers in the earlier rounds - although they needed penalties to scrape by the latter two - before shocking Ligue 1 title outsiders Lens 2-1 in the quarter-finals and sending Lyon packing in the final four thanks to Ludovic Blas's winner.
Nantes are actually no strangers to back-to-back Coupe de France final appearances, having competed for glory in the 1999 and 2000 showpiece contests - winning the trophy on both occasions - but their knockout achievements have come at quite the cost in the top flight.
Indeed, Les Canaris are still mired in relegation danger in Ligue 1 - only above the drop zone on goal difference thanks to a nine-game winless run, drawing 2-2 with Troyes last weekend - but whatever Kombouare feeds his players on the mornings of cup fixtures is going down a treat, and Toulouse would do well not to underestimate the troubled holders.
© Reuters
Pushed all the way by Ligue 2 strugglers Annecy in the semi-finals, a Toulouse outfit still seeking their first major piece of silverware dealt a cruel 85th-minute blow to their lower-tier adversaries, as Fares Chaibi made his presence felt off the bench to send Les Violets into the final with a 2-1 triumph.
While Nantes have had to rely on their penalty-shootout prowess at various points in the tournament, Philippe Montanier's men have harnessed their goalscoring excellence against Lannion, Ajaccio, Reims, Rodez and now Annecy, scoring 20 goals and conceding a mere four en route to their maiden Coupe de France final.
Two-time semi-finalists in 1985 and 2009, Toulouse also head into Saturday's tantalising battle on the back of indifferent league form, but Chaibi once again had a say in last weekend's fixture at Lorient, setting up Zakaria Aboukhlal for the game's only goal in a 1-0 beating.
Sitting 12th in the table and comfortably nine points clear of the drop zone with six games remaining, Toulouse can breathe a little easier than their Canaris counterparts, while scoring at least twice in all of their Coupe de France fixtures so far this season stands Les Violets in very good stead indeed.
Toulouse have not had much luck against Nantes in recent seasons, losing their Ligue 1 relegation/promotion playoff in 2021 on away goals after a 2-2 aggregate draw before a 3-1 defeat at the Stade de la Beaujoire earlier this term, but there would be no sweeter revenge than wrestling the Coupe de France crown out of Les Canaris' grasp.
Team News
© Reuters
An ever-present for Nantes in the Coupe de France this season, goalkeeper Remy Descamps sustained a groin injury in the semi-final win over Lyon and may sadly cede his place in the first XI to Alban Lafont, who made 98 appearances for Toulouse between 2015 and 2018.
Descamps is one of just two injury concerns for Kombouare to factor in, as Pedro Chirivella recuperates from a season-ending groin injury, while Andrei Girotto is back from a one-game ban served in last weekend's stalemate with Troyes.
Girotto's return's allows Kombouare to revert to the same 10 outfield players that started the semi-final win over Lyon, which would see Joao Victor and Ignatius Ganago displace Quentin Merlin and Andy Delort respectively, although Evann Guessand has potentially staked his claim for a start with his last-minute equaliser last weekend.
Meanwhile, Toulouse are sweating over the fitness of captain Brecht Dejaegere, who missed last weekend's win over Lorient with a concussion but took part in pre-match media duties with Montanier, while English striker Rhys Healey remains out with his long-term ACL concern.
However, pass master Branco van den Boomen is back from a ban and is sure to take the place of Vincent Sierro in the middle, while Norwegian shot-stopper Kjetil Haug has featured in every minute of Toulouse's run to the final and may be trusted over number one Maxime Dupe again.
With Rafael Ratao only just back from a knee injury, Chaibi should have done enough to earn a start out wide for the challengers, also forcing Ado Onaiwu to accept a spot among the reserves.
Nantes possible starting lineup:
Lafont; Centonze, Pallois, Castelletto, Victor; Moutoussamy, Girotto, Sissoko; Blas, Mohamed, Ganago
Toulouse possible starting lineup:
Haug; Desler, Rouault, Nicolaisen, Suazo; Van den Boomen, Spierings; Aboukhlal, Dejaegere, Chaibi; Dallinga
We say: Nantes 1-1 Toulouse (Nantes win on penalties)
Having already seen off Lens and Lyon in this year's tournament, Nantes have proven to be a different kettle of fish in the Coupe de France and are not giving up their crown without a fight, while uncertainty over the fitness of their captain is far from ideal for Toulouse.
Montanier's side have found the back of the net for fun in this competition so far, but we are finding it impossible to separate the sides in normal time, and Nantes' recent winning experience from 12 yards could prove telling as Les Canaris celebrate back-to-back cup titles on the Stade de France turf.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
