All results now added – see end for the draw for the last 16.

It may been freezing around Europe but the Coupe de France is just heating up. A midweek round, just to confuse everyone, and we have 16 matches for you to get your teeth into. Hopefully they will all beat the frost and go ahead, but we will keep an eye on the situation for all the games involved. In this round we have 14 teams from Ligue 1, five from Ligue 2, four from the National, five from the CFA, two from the CFA 2 and amazingly two from the regional divisions. At least three Ligue 1 teams will drop out of the competition as we have some intra-league clashes, so all in all it is set up to be a cracker!

Wednesday 23rd January

NICE v NANCY by @J_Ervine
13:15 Kick-Off – Stade du Ray

Given Nancy’s poor form in Ligue 1 and the recent departure of head coach Jean Fernandez, their Coupe de France tie away to Nice could provide a welcome distraction. The sides last met back on November 3rd when a goal from Éric Bauthéac ten minutes from the end gave Nice a 2-1 home victory. Mahamane Traoré had given les Aiglons the lead at the Stade de Rey half way through the first half before Salif Sané equalised for the visitors just before half-time.

Nancy’s 5-1 win away to minnows FC Drouais (from the Division d’Honneur, France’s fifth tier) in the last round of the Coupe de France was their first win since beating Brest on Ligue 1’s opening weekend back in August. In contrast, Nice have been one of the form sides in France during the autumn and winter. Since their home win against Nancy, they have played twelve games of which they have won eight, drawn two and lost only two.

Nice’s good form owes much to the goalscoring exploits of Argentine-born striker Dario Cvitanich who has scored twelve times in seventeen games during his first season in Ligue 1. Stopping Cvitanich will be one of the main challenges for Nancy, who last won the Coupe de France in 1978.

However, Nice required extra-time in order to achieve a 3-2 win away to Metz of the Championnat National (France’s third tier) in the last round of the Coupe de France. This was all the more surprising given that their hosts were reduced to ten men half way through the first half after Grégory Proment was sent off. It took two extra-time goals from 20-year-old midfielder Valentin Eysséric to clinch a victory for Nice at the Stade Symphorien in a game where Cvitanich was left on the bench.

The form book would suggest that Nice should achieve a fairly comfortable home win against Nancy, not least after Claude Puel’s side became only the second side to win away to Lille in Ligue 1. Nancy may welcome a distraction from the league, but it may not last for much longer.

RESULT – Nice 2 (Bosetti, Cvitanich) – 2 Nancy (Alo’o Efoulou x 2) a.e.t. Nancy win 4-2 on penalties. 

MONTPELLIER v SOCHAUX by @jeremysmith98
16:00 Kick-Off – Stade du Mosson

The fortunes of Ligue 1 sides Montpellier and Sochaux have varied somewhat since their victories in the previous round of the Coupe de France.

Sochaux were in the midst of an eight-game winless streak and will have come away from lowly fifth-tier Thaon relieved to get through, a late Sloan Privat goal ensuring the win for les Lionceaux.

Reigning Ligue 1 champions Montpellier, meanwhile, appeared to be gathering form and momentum after a shaky start to the season, and professionally dispatched traditional giant-killers Bourg-Peronnas 2-1, Herrera and Camara scoring early before the team fended off a comeback from the home team.

Since the two top-tier teams were drawn against each other for this Round of 32 clash, however, their fortunes have changed.

Sochaux, who were occupying a spot in the relegation zone at the time, have won two league games on the bounce, an impressive 3-1 win against Marseille followed up with a slightly fortunate (for fortunate read ‘winner scored with a handball’) win against relegation rivals Reims. Those six points mean that the team from the Doubs sit at a nose-bleedingly high fifteenth place, three points above the drop zone.

Montpellier, however, will be longing for January to end. Two consecutive defeats – one to Rennes in the Coupe de la Ligue semi-final and the other an albeit undeserved league loss to Marseille, have slowed the Paillade train just as it looked like it was getting back on track. And perhaps more seriously, the team have been disrupted by the dreaded transfer window. Captain and defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa is moving on to the Northern French enclave of Château-Nouveau-sur-Tyne, whilst playmaker Younes Belhanda, who is absent in any case on international duty, is also expected to leave before the month is out. Injuries have hit the midfield in particular (Yanga-Mbiwa finishing his Montpellier career as an emergency defensive midfielder) whilst the recently improved Daniel Congré returned to his errant ways against Marseille.

With home advantage, Montpellier will still fancy their chances to win, spurred on by the Mosson crowd, who will see the competition as the last chance to salvage something positive from the season. However, in a one-off match and with their tails up, Sochaux will want to continue their good form and will be a far from easy opponent. Expect a close tie and don’t be surprised to see extra time and possibly even penalties.

RESULT – Montpellier 2 (Charbonnier, Deplagne) – 3 Sochaux (Contout, Bakambu, Mikari) a.e.t.

RAON L’ETAPE v ISTRES by @MezahiMaher
17:15 Kick-Off – Stade Paul Gasser

Nothing quite evokes the romanticism of the Coupe de France like a daring run by a more modest side. L’US Raon play their football in the Northeastern vale of Raon, in a town of only 6, 000 people, but l’US Raon have their footballing roots deeply nestled in the tough soil of Lorraine. The club was established in 1921 and remains devoted to its tight-knit structure. Georges Bilon, for example, was club president for the better part of 29 years until he passed away last year.

Raon l’Etape now tussle in Groupe B of the CFA (equivalent of a 4th division), and their play has been anything but spectacular;Les Bleus have probably found their level in league play and are unlikely to overachieve there anytime soon. It is in the cup where Raon have found success; in fact, 2013 will be the 4th time the club disputes the round of 32 of la Coupe de France (and those previous successes are not in the far-off past, they made it in both 2010 and 2011). It took Raon 120 minutes to defeat Amneville 2-1 in the previous round, and now Jean-Phillipe Sechet’s men are ready to make club history by finally qualifying for the round of 16.

Their opponents, Istres, will harbour a cautious yet ambitious approach. Coach Jose Pasqualetti extolled minnows Raon l’Etape in a recent interview. He said:

‘It’s a team that has inspired me and I have a lot of respect for them. It’s no fluke that they have progressed, and we take the cup very seriously. I will select the most competitive side possible’

In the last round, Istres played in a thrilling encounter against Ligue 1 side Valenciennes. Sid Ali Yahia-Cherif scored a dramatic last-minute equaliser to send the match into extra-time. Both teams scored twice more during the additional half hour, but Istres triumphed 4-3 in penalty kicks. Istres will, once more, rely on an attacking trio composed of Nassim Akrour, Guy Roland Niangbo and Sid Ali Yahia-Cherif.  The latter has been in particularly good form with previous opponents Valenciennes keeping tabs on his progress. Keeper Denis Petric, fullback Foued Chafik and experienced midfielder Ibrahima Ba are others to keep an eye on.

RESULT!!!!! – Raon L’Etape 1 (Benkajjane) – 0 Istres

VENISSIEUX MINGUETTES v LE POIRE-SUR-VIE by @Philby1976
18:00 Kick-Off – Stade Laurent Gérin

Vénissieux Minguettes saw off Savigneux Montbrison 3-1 on penalties in the ‘match of the best names’ in the last round, to get through to the equivalent in the round of 32; Le Poiré-sur-Vie beating Ligue 2 side Le Mans 2-1 to join them. Romuald Venet scored in open play for Vénissieux, who have never made it this far in the competition before, to set up a historic match at the 1500-capacity Stade Laurent Gerin. Currently fifth in CFA2 Group D, they will meet a solid side 3rd in the third tier, seven points above their closest rivals for promotion to Ligue 2.

Poiré-sur-Vie had to come from behind last round, with goals from midfielder Emmanuel Bourgaud and striker Kevin Lefaix – they have reached this stage of the cup before, meeting PSG in the 2007/08 season (they lost 3-1). A two-league gap might be too much to overcome, but we are at least assured that one fabulous name will progress to the next round.

RESULT!!! – Venissieux Minguettes 0 – 0 Poire-sur-Vie a.e.t, Venissieux win 4-3 on penalties.

MEAUX ACADEMY v SAINT-ETIENNE by @nicholasmcgee24
18:00 Kick-Off – Stade Dominique Duvauchelle

Sixth tier side Meaux will look to reach the last 16 of the Coupe de France when they take on Ligue 1 giants Saint-Etienne.

Samir Salah’s men, based in a small town to the North-East of Paris, are well known for their cup runs, having twice made it past the 10th round in 1976 and 1986.

The last time they reached the last 16 they were defeated over two legs by Strasbourg, however the side that sits bottom of the Paris-Ile De France region of the Division D’Honneur, will hope that they will be able to carry momentum into their clash with Les Verts after beating CFA sides Ivry and Chambly before overcoming fellow minnows Stade Portelois in the last round.

However, the club that is famed for producing such players Franck Leboeuf and Geoffrey Jourden will have a tough task if they are to pull off a major shock and defeat a Saint-Etienne side that got back to winning ways in Ligue 1 with a victory at Brest.

Christophe Galtier’s men edged past a determined Caen outfit in the previous round, and Les Verts fans will be looking for an easier ride on Wednesday evening.

Meaux will hope that they can subvert those expectations, having only conceded four goals in the competition this term, but with Saint-Etienne possessing some extremely talented attacking players in the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Yohan Mollo and Romain Hamouma, another clean sheet appears unlikely.

Still the Coupe de France has a reputation for producing the unexpected, and if Meaux can manage to replicate the form that has seen them progress so far in the competition, then the town that was the scene of an epic battle in the ‘Hundred Years War’ in the 15th century may bear witness to a piece of epic sporting history.

RESULT – Meaux 0 – 0 St-Etienne a.e.t., St Etienne win 5-3 on penalties. 

MOULINS v BORDEAUX by @iTufani
18:30 Kick-Off – Stade Hector Rolland

The small town of Moulins is booming in anticipation of its Coupe de France game against Bordeaux.

Girondins manager Francis Gillot has admitted that he has struggled to analyse the game of his side’s opponents: “I have no idea about this team, nor about their players”, he says. “The only time I saw them was the video of last season’s game. We are left in the dark completely”. The question is, can AS Moulins use this in their advantage?

With the second-best defense in their CFA group, AS Moulins have also shown their best qualities in Coupe de France, conceding only once in six games played. But the games are not won with defense only; their biggest and most experienced asset is 33-year-old Moroccan striker Jawad El Hajri, who was the best goalscorer in the CFA and then National in 2005 and 2006, while playing in Boulogne. He scored an equalizer in the previous round of the Coupe de France against Marseille-Consolat to help his team proceed to penalty shootouts and eventually win it. Together with Sébastien Da Silva, they are capable of causing headaches to any defense.

This time Moulins are facing a beast of a completely different nature, but the game plan will most likely remain the same. Bordeaux is known for their high quality in defense, currently second-best in the league behind PSG, and have seen themselves struggle against various CFA sides before, but they will surely go into an attacking mode on Wednesday.  Damien Rascle, currently one of the most experienced goalkeepers in CFA, with the likes of Grégory Rouchon and Mickaël Alphonse in the Moulins back four, will have to do their best to hold the forces of 7th placed Ligue 1 side, to try their luck in the shootouts once more.

Another club asset, midfielder Ouseman Diaby, Moulins born and bred, already has the experience of playing a much bigger side than his own in the cup. He was the only scorer for his former side, FC Bourg-Péronnas, in a 3-1 defeat to Marseille at Stade Velodrome last year in a 1/8 Coupe de France game. This time he has an advantage of playing in front of a home crowd.

Although there have been slight concerns over a possible match cancellation due to heavy snowfall, the club have been keeping the pitch covered since last Thursday. And since Stade Hector Rolland is sold out for this game, Moulins were trying to increase the capacity to 4,500, but saw the bid rejected by the Coupe de France authorities. In the end, 3,500 people out of 20,000 living in Moulins will turn up on Wednesday night to cheer their team to their first 1/8 round of the Coupe de France in the club’s 86-year history.

RESULT – Moulins 1 (Ligoule) – 2 Bordeaux (Tremoulinas, Bellion)

CA BASTIA v BREST by @SimonScutt
18:30 Kick-Off – Stade Armand Césari

After a difficult victory against CFA side Luçon in the previous round, Brest head to Corsica to take on CA Bastia. CA Bastia achieved one of the shocks of the last round in knocking out island neighbours and current Ligue 1 residents SC Bastia.

When one thinks of Cercle Athlétique Bastia, one’s mind is automatically drawn to former Leicester City, Sheffield United, Coventry City, Plymouth Argyle and Swindon Town midfield supremo (ish) Lilian Nali, who, having finished his career with CA Bastia, is currently their assistant manager.

CAB are currently sitting in eighth position in National, France’s third tier, something of an achievement for a club that took its current form only a decade ago and was newly promoted at the same time. They will be looking emulate, if not better, fellow Corsicans Gazelec Ajaccio’s achievement last year when they reached the semi finals. In that run Gazelec, then in National, knocked out 2 Ligue 1 & 1 Ligue 2 sides on their way to a semi final loss to eventual winners Olympique Lyonnais.

Corsican football is enjoying something of a boon period, with two sides in the top tier and Gazelec and CAB both being promoted into National and CFA1 respectively. So there does appear to be an advantage to playing outside mainland France.  The difficulties for opponents may stem from the distance of the journey, and even with the increasing homogeneity of conditions, certain teams have struggled when playing on the ile de beauté. Neighbours SC Bastia maintained a two-year long period of home invincibility until their arrival in Ligue 1. There is also the fanatical and fervent home support creating a hostile atmosphere for away teams.  SB29 do have one of the longer journeys to be made in French football; as the crows flies, Brest will have to travel some 2500km to reach the north of Corsica.

So, chances of an upset? Reasonable to say the least.  Brest are not a team with enormous cup pedigree. There is also the loss of 5 first team players to the Africa Cup of Nations which will undoubtedly have an effect on the Bretons, although Brest have reinforced their ranks with the loans of Florian Raspentino and Florian Lejeune from Marseille and Villareal respectively.

Corsicans taking on Bretons in a midweek cup-tie in winter, what more could you want in an evening’s entertainment?

RESULT – CA Bastia 1 (Ndiaye) – 3 Brest (Martial, Benschop, Ben Basat) 

STADE BORDELAIS v RC LENS by @Puchkin_B
18:30 Kick-Off – Stade Sainte-Germaine

It takes a little bit of good fortune to do well in a cup competition, and Lens will certainly consider their round of 64 victory as a good omen. Against Rennnes, the “Sang et Or” were blessed with two own goals from Mensah and Théophile-Catherine to progress to the next round, in a hard-fought 2-1 victory.

While Rennes showcased a team missing a few regular starters, Lens certainly showed why they haven’t lost a game since the end of September. Solid, focused, and supported by a near-full Stade Bollaert, Racing Club de Lens is a team that could easily fit around the mid-table of Ligue 1 with a few additions in the attacking department. With the addition of a real striker in front of Valdivia and Touzghar, Lens could cause trouble to any top-tier side.

On paper, there are two divisions between them and the Stade Bordelais, freshly promoted from CFA2 and struggling for survival in their CFA group. But football isn’t played on paper, and the Stade Bordelais certainly have their chance in an encounter played at their Stade Saint Germaine in the northern suburb of Bordeaux.

In the shadow of the Girondins, and to a lesser extent of Libourne Saint Seurin, the Stade Bordelais is growing slowly, with a squad composed of amateur players, former professionals and Girondins’ Reserve players who didn’t make the cut for professional football.

As often with that type of team, this mix of talent, experience and spirit for revenge is a treacherous combination for the sides visiting Sainte Germaine. In December, Ligue 2 strugglers Niort fell at Le Bouscat in a game entirely dominated by the Bordeaux team. Pau, Bayonne(CFA) and Carquefou (National) were also victims of Stade Bordelais’ enthusiasm in the autumn, on their way to the round of 32.

If they take this game seriously, there is no doubt Lens are the strongest team, and they shouldn’t be troubled by the amateurs of Bordeaux. But in a hostile environment, and against a team playing the match of their lives, they will also know that heart and commitment can level the difference of skill. If they don’t apply the right sort of pressure from kick-off, Lens could well become Stade Bordelais’ latest victim in their epic Coupe de France journey.

RESULT – Stade Bordelais 0 – 3 Lens (Valdivia, Bela, Touzghar)

PARIS SAINT GERMAIN v TOULOUSE by @jon_legossip
19:55 Kick-Off – Parc des Princes

Paris Saint-Germain head into their round of 32 fixture against Ligue 1 rivals Toulouse on Wednesday night deprived of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Motta through suspension and Thiago Silva, Alex, Mathieu Bodmer and Zoumana Camara through injury. Unlike last year where PSG faced a number of lower league sides en route to the Quarter Finals, including Sablé FC at this stage, they face top-flight opposition before the round of 16.

Alain Casanova’s TFC will be confident of an upset given Carlo Ancelotti’s preference to rotate his options in the domestic cups. Without Ibrahimovic PSG are a more beatable proposition, particularly if they are resting a number of other important players ahead of Sunday’s important clash with Lille.

Le Tefece on the other hand are almost at full strength, missing only Adrien Regattin and captain Jonathan Zebina. The omission of contract rebel Moussa Sissoko from the squad by Casanova is interesting, however.

This one has a Ligue 1 feel to it and is a dress rehearsal for the capital club’s visit to the Pink City in a fortnight’s time. TFC will fancy their chances that given PSG’s slip up against Saint-Etienne in the Coupe de la Ligue, their hosts will not be taking their clash as seriously as a league encounter and a surprise away victory could be on the cards.

That said, as eight-time winners Ancelotti’s men have an illustrious history to defend and it is not like Toulouse are in sparkling form themselves. Having dropped like a stone through November and December, early January has brought some improved form but on the road Casanova’s side have only won twice in the league this season.

It is hard to see it being a classic, instead expect to see two teams playing half-strength sides in an effort to preserve some key figures. That could however make for an entertaining game, given the number of fringe players with a point to prove for PSG. In brief, it is important that the capital club get through to the next round whereas for TFC it would be a bonus.

RESULT – PSG 3 (Gameiro, Pastore, Lavezzi) – 1 Toulouse (Tabanou)

Thursday 24th January

PLABENNEC v LILLE OSC by @AGibneyftbl
19:55 Kick-Off – Stade Francis-Le Blé

Beware the Plabennec! This team has history. Although a relative unknown in the annals of French football this team from a small town in Brittany has a good history of recent Coupe de France exploits. In 2010 they beat both Nancy and Nice before ultimately losing in the last 16 to Auxerre, so this team has previous. For a town that has a population of only 7,700 it is still amazing that 11,000 fans watched as Plabennec as a regional team lost to Bordeaux way back in 1990. Rudi Garcia are you reading this?

Lille are like an over-the-hill heavyweight boxer on the ropes at the moment. The younger, faster boxers are causing them problems, fans are still looking back on the not-so-long-ago glory days, and with the right tactics and a higher work-rate and desire, they are there for the taking.

Local boy Steven Coat scored the only goal as the underdogs beat Stade de Reims in the last round, the midfielder has never scored more than three goals in a season in his four years with the Breton side, and how he would love to equal his record against Les Dogues. And if Coat doesn’t wrap up the win Plabennec will look to 22-year old Dewi Laot. He has three goals this season, his first for the club, so could he announce himself into cup history with a famous goal for the fourth division side?

Planennec sit just outside the relegation zone in the CFA and for a team that was as high as the third division two years ago it has been a tough couple of years, but with their cup tradition of causing shocks they are just the sort of banana skin that Lille would like to avoid right now.

RESULT – Plabennec 1 (Pelletier) -3 Lille (own goal, Roux, De Melo)

Tuesday 22^nd January

SEDAN v FC LORIENT by @meatmansoccer
15:00 Kick-Off – Stade Louis-Dugauguez

Sedan did not play at the weekend and have thus enjoyed 10-day rest prior to this match after their fixture on Friday night was postponed due to the weather. At the time of writing, this cup match with Lorient is due to go ahead, although it has been moved forward by a few hours to 16:00 CET. It is unlikely the surface will play particularly well which won’t suit Lorient, who are of course used to their own artificial pitch.

The Ligue 1 visitors managed to beat Troyes 3-2 at the weekend in what was an entertaining fixture; despite a few key absentees, Les Merlus managed to prevail and they will likely target the Coupe de France this season considering they are in a comfortable Ligue position right now. It might be that just 1 goal will be enough for Lorient to win this game because Sedan aren’t a team that contains much firepower. They are one of the lowest scoring teams in Ligue 2 this season, which has been a major part of their poor performance – they are last in Ligue 2, six points off Gazelec albeit with two games in hand.

Unless pitch conditions quite literally make this match a more ‘level playing field’, it is difficult to see beyond a Lorient win based on current form.

RESULT – Sedan 0 – 1 Lorient (Giuly)

EPINAL v NANTES by @J_746
17:00 Kick-Off – Stade de la Colombière

After eliminating Ligue 1 giants Lyon in the last round of the Coupe de France, Épinal will now face Ligue 2 side Nantes in the round of 32.  Épinal provided one of the shocks of the last round in eliminating a comparatively strong Lyonnais side on penalties, a side who were looking to defend their Coupe de France title.

Ligue 2 side Nantes currently sit second in the table and managed to overcome northern side Dieppe away from home in a 3-2 victory.  Nantes will not be taking this fixture lightly having seen what Épinal are capable of in the previous round, and they can call on the talents of top goalscorer Filip Djordjevic, who has scored 13 goals in Ligue 2 so far this season.

Épinal themselves have not been performing well in the Championnat National, currently sitting 19th in the table.  With this being said, they may be looking at the Coupe de France to provide a fairytale ending.  Once again, however, the odds are firmly stacked against Épinal.

RESULT – Epinal do it again! 1-1 a.e.t. (goals from Crillon for Epinal, Djordjevic for Nantes), then 4-3 in the penalty shoot-out.

MENDE AVENIR FOOT LOZERE v LE HAVRE by @AGibneyftbl
17:30 Kick-Off – Stade Jean-Jacques Delmas

This is easily one of the stories of the cup so far. Little ‘Avenir’ from the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France, playing in the 7th tier of French football, are set to take on one of France’s big names. Le Havre may not be in Ligue 1 but their reputation of producing some of France’s best young talents paints a target on their chest for the minnows from Mende.

In the Coupe de France, every year we look for that special story, the true underdog story, and in Avenir we already have a great tale to tell. Being up against Ligue 2 side Arles-Avignon in the round of 32 was meant to be their big moment. No one told Avenir though, the pre-match atmosphere was outstanding, and the picturesque views perfect. They couldn’t, could they?

On 19 minutes Arles-Avignon failed to clear a cross, the ball fell kindly to Fadil Gourmat, he shimmied the ball onto his left foot and, although the shot could have been stronger, it somehow found its way into the bottom corner. A dream start from the home side.

Sometimes when it’s your day everything goes in your favour. When Arles-Avignon missed a penalty soon after going behind, and then missed a second two minutes before full-time, Mende must have dared to dream. Imagine the scenes of joy when Gourmat raced through in the last minute and slotted the ball into the net for his second. The scenes were what the cup was made for; ecstasy from the home fans and players, the obligatory pile-up at the corner flag and of course Queen’s “We Are The Champions” playing over the tannoy.

Now Avenir Foot Lozère have to do it all again. Le Havre start heavy favourites for the match but after beating Uzes Pont Du Gard and Limoges in previous rounds you would be a fool to rule out a miracle result from the amateur side. The local Hyper U shop has spent the week dressing up their shop front with the AFL colours; the Stade Jean-Jacques Delmas will be packed come Tuesday evening as the 14,000 occupants of Mende try to find a way to fit into the tiny stadium.

This is without doubt the biggest game in the club’s history; no one knows what the future holds for them, but it is a story they will tell for years to come.

RESULT – Mende 0 – 3 Le Havre (Bonnet, Ba, Mesloub sp)

VENDEE FONTENAY FOOT v TROYES by @meatmansoccer
18:30 Kick-Off – Stade Emmanuel Murzeau

Fontenay are a CFA group D side, which is the 4th tier of French football. They currently have an 8-3-4 record which is fairly impressive and enough for them to be ranked 4th in their division at the moment. Their run to this stage of the Coupe de France has been fairly easy, as they have yet to face any side ranked lower (or even at the same level) as themselves. In that, they have been pretty fortunate, and this will be their first big test. Tickets are completely sold out for this game, which could potentially be their highlight of the season. A full capacity crowd of 3,500 will roar on their team, hoping for a cup shock.

The home team don’t really have any star names or players who have played much at higher levels. They are however managed by Anthony Gauvin, who was a regular for Lorient and Le Havre at both Ligue 1 and 2 level, and I’m sure he will be relishing the prospect of facing a top-flight team in the cup and potentially causing an upset.

Troyes come into the fixture on the back of yet another Ligue 1 loss, this time away against Lorient 3-2. Defensive issues continue to be a real problem for them in the top flight, although they managed to keep a clean sheet in the previous round of the cup. Troyes faced Montceau in that game, and in many ways this will be a similar fixture for them away against CFA opposition. Because of ESTAC’s poor form in Ligue 1 this season, it is tempting to say that there could be every chance of a shock here. But in all reality, there’s a gulf of 3 divisions between the sides so the visitors should have enough in their tank to prevail.

RESULT – Fontenay 0 – 5 Troyes (Marcos, Bettiol, Baheback, Camus x 2)

VERTOU v EVIAN by @Philby1976
19:00 Kick-Off – Stade des Échalonnières

Evian will be relieved to be facing a CFA2 (fifth-tier) side as they made life rather hard for themselves in the last round against Amiens – it took a last-minute equaliser from Cedric Cambon and then a penalty shoot-out to see off the CFA side. USSA Vertou also beat a CFA side (St Malo) on penalties, striker Alain Koudou with their 75^th minute goal to force the match to extra time.

Evian may have pulled themselves out of the relegation zone with a 0-0 draw away at Lyon on Friday, but combining one of the weakest attacks in Ligue 1 (goals for: 22) with one of its most profligate defences (goals against: 34) is never going to be a good look – they are also missing six players at the Cup of Nations.  Vertou sit mid-table in CFA 2 Group H, and Koudou has scored in every cup game but one so far (and in that, he got two assists). If he keeps firing and Evian continue their topsy-turvy form, Vertou might just come out on top – after all, as Koudou says, “in the Coupe de France, anything is possible”.

RESULT – Vertou 0 – 2 Evian (Berigaud, Adnane)

ROUEN v MARSEILLE by @AGibneyftbl
POSTPONED

After coming back from the brink of defeat against Montpellier in the Ligue last round there is no doubt that Marseille will start hot favourites against the third division side, however with the mid-week match coming only days before l’OM’s tough game away at Rennes, who knows what sort of side Elie Baup will field away in Le Petit-Quevilly.

Unlike their Ligue 1 opponents, Rouen have enjoyed an extended break, their last game was on the 12^th of January as they confidently dispatched Uzès Pont du Gard 3-0 to move slightly away from the relegation zone. You can tell the sort of season Rouen are having when their top scorer is defender Ousmane Sissoko with five goals but he is suspended for the game after being sent off in their last league match. They will have to instead rely on strikers Julien Jahier and Rémy Dugimont, who both have four goals this season and were on the scoresheet against Uzès.

Coach Didier Ollé-Nicolle will know the odds are stacked against his side, in fact Ladbrokes have Rouen at 9/2 for the victory and at a whopping 12/1 to win 1-0. However, after beating Ajaccio on penalties in the last round they have to believe in themselves; 14 years have passed since Rouen reached the Quarter-Finals of the Coupe de France, maybe now is the time.

RESULT – rescheduled for Wednesday 30 January at 19.50 GMT

DRAW FOR THE LAST SIXTEEN
To be played Tuesday 26 and Wednesday 27 February:

Sochaux (L1) v Troyes (L1)

Lorient (L1) v Brest (L1)

Saint-Etienne (L1) v Lille (L1)

Evian (L1) v Le Havre (L2)

Raon L’Etape (CFA) v Bordeaux (L1)

Venissieux Minguettes (CFA2) v Nancy (L1)

PSG (L1) v Rouen (Nat) / Marseille (L1)

Epinal (Nat) v Lens (L2)