Toulousevs.Guingamp

A place in the quarter-finals is up for grabs here, with the lower-league visitors coming into this one in excellent form.

Match preview

With relegation unlikely and a push for Europe looking beyond them, all that is left for Toulouse is a potential run in the Coupe de France.

Taking just two points from their last four league games means Toulouse have fallen a significant way off the top seven, but a late leveller from Mark McKenzie against Nice at the weekend means they are still eight points clear of the drop.

Carles Martinez's side have not had it plain sailing in the cup either though, needing penalties to beat amateur outfit Hauts Lyonnais in the round of 64, before beating Ligue 2 Laval 2-1 at home in the last round.

After claiming their maiden Coupe success in 2023, beating Nantes in the final, Toulouse were knocked out 12-11 on penalties by FC Rouen in the round of 32 last season, continuing their run of frequent exits to lower-league clubs.

Six of Toulouse's last 10 defeats in the Coupe de France have come against lower-league opposition, including their last exit at this stage, against Versailles in 2022.

Ligue 2 Guingamp will hope they are the next club to inflict a surprise defeat on Toulouse, and with local rivals Brest enjoying the time of their lives playing at Guingamp's stadium in Europe, the visitors will hope they can put together a memorable cup run themselves.

Morale is high at the club, with Sylvain Ripoli's side putting together a strong promotion push, but they did stutter slightly at the weekend, losing 1-0 at home to Paris FC.

That ended a six-game unbeaten run where Guingamp won five, but they remain fifth, in the playoff places and in the last 16 of the Coupe de France.

Guingamp have had a wild ride in this competition so far, beating Caen thanks to an injury-time winner from Hugo Picard, before a 9-8 win on penalties against Sochaux in the last round, with those wins coming after routine successes against amateurs Serquigny-Nassandres and fourth-tier Dinan Lehon.

This is the club's first venture to the last 16 since 2019, when Lyon overcame them, but despite slipping into the second division recently, Guingamp are one of the most successful clubs in this competition in recent times.

They beat Rennes in the final in both 2009 and 2014, but in Guingamp's last fixture against a top-flight club, it was Rennes who knocked them out of the Coupe last season.

Toulouse Coupe de France form:

W

W

Toulouse form (all competitions):

W

L

W

D

L

D

Guingamp Coupe de France form:

W

W

W

D

Guingamp form (all competitions):

D

W

D

W

W

L

Team News

Martinez has rotated his Toulouse side slightly in the cup this season, but not to a great extent, and with a tricky test ahead, he could go much stronger here, especially with little left to play for in Ligue 1.

Backup keeper Alex Dominguez has been loaned out to Eibar, so Guillaume Restes could start between the sticks, while Charlie Cresswell is back from suspension, and got a goal and an assist in the win over Laval in the last round.

Denis Genreau had been a regular in the Toulouse side, but has left for Deportivo La Coruna this week, while Niklas Schmidt, Vincent Sierro and Djibril Sidibe are all out injured.

Guingamp have seen no incomings or notable outgoings during the transfer window, and that will be a relief given that some of their in-form players could see interest in them from Ligue 1 clubs.

In particular, Picard and Brighton Labeau will be the ones to watch here, with the former contributing to three goals in Guingamp's last two cup games, as well as three assists in the recent win over Annecy, while Labeau scored in back-to-back games before the weekend.

Alpha Sissoko was banned at the weekend following an accumulation of yellow cards, and he will be suspended again here after being sent off in the previous round.

Toulouse possible starting lineup:

Restes; McKenzie, Cresswell, Akdag; Donnum, Casseres, Zajc, Suazo; Babicka, Magri, Gboho

Guingamp possible starting lineup:

Niasse; Riou, Gomis, Nair, Ourega; Sidibe, Louiserre, Luvambo; Guendouz, Labeau, Picard

We say: Toulouse 1-2 Guingamp

While being in the division below, Guingamp are only 13 places beneath Toulouse in the pyramid, and are in much better form, despite a defeat at the weekend.

Written by

Andrew Delaney

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