Jason Collins
Dailysports's expert
On February 4, Le Mans and PSG will face off in the Coupe de France Round of 16. Will this be a straightforward match for the visitors? Here’s my analysis.
Le Mans
Le Mans was once a top-flight club but now competes in the third division of French football (National 1). They currently sit sixth in their league, just three points behind the top three, meaning a promotion push is still within reach—but consistency will be key.
The team is on an impressive nine-match unbeaten run across all competitions. However, in their most recent league outing, they were held to a 1-1 home draw by direct promotion rival Sochaux, with both goals coming in the first half.
PSG
Paris Saint-Germain has no issues on the domestic front, comfortably leading Ligue 1 with a 10-point advantage over second-placed Marseille. The Parisians have yet to lose in the league this season.
In their last Ligue 1 match, Luis Enrique’s men delivered a dominant 5-2 away win over Brest, with Ousmane Dembélé scoring his second consecutive hat-trick and Gonçalo Ramos adding a brace. Despite some struggles in the Champions League, PSG managed to sneak into the knockout stage, where they will again face Brest.
Probable Lineups
- Le Mans: Kocik, Ribelin, Lamgahe, You, Eyom, Bourlet, Rossignoli, Bernadoux, Lauray, Gueye, Rabillard.
- PSG: Safonov, Mendes, Pacho, Marquinhos, Hakimi, Ruiz, Vitinha, Mayulu, Hernandez, Ramos, Doué.
Match Facts
- PSG’s only away losses this season were to Arsenal and Bayern Munich—both in the Champions League.
- Le Mans is unbeaten in five consecutive home matches, though before that, they failed to win five straight home games.
- Betting odds: Le Mans – 20.00, Draw – 7.90, PSG – 1.16.
Head-to-Head (H2H)
The teams last met in an official match in 2019, also in the Coupe de France, where PSG cruised to a 4-1 away victory.
Prediction
Bookmakers heavily favor PSG, as expected—this is a matchup between France’s biggest club and a third-tier side. Even if PSG rotates their squad, they should control the match comfortably. However, this gives Le Mans a small opportunity to capitalize on defensive gaps.
Given the odds and possible squad rotations, I’ll take a riskier bet on both teams to score (BTTS) at a high-value price.
