Our prediction for this Coupe de France match:
Villefranche
Match Time & Date:
06/02/2019
12:30 PM
Prediction: 1-3
Paris SG
David faces Goliath at Groupama Stadium in the French Cup last 16. Star-studded PSG take on Villefranche and Thomas Tuchel’s troops are considered hot favourites to advance to the quarter-finals of Coupe de France. Neymar is unlikely to be risked against the National 1 side, but regardless of which players will be deployed in the starting XI, away win should be considered. As always, French rising star Kylian Mbappe is likely to pose a big threat for the opposition defenders. Villefranche set up a meeting with PSG by beating the likes of Limoges, Chamalieres, Gravelines and Les Herbiers, but les Parisiens are likely to pose a much bigger threat for the hosts than their previous rivals. Taking everything into account, anything but a routine away win will be a major surprise. It has to be noted that the two sides meet for the first time ever in a competitive game.
Highlighted Player (Angel di Maria):
Angel Di Maria is a professional footballer who played for Argentine side Rosario Central at the start of his senior career. The left-footed winger is very quick on the ball and he often makes life difficult for opposition defenders. After playing for Benfica between 2007 and 2010, the Argentine superstar signed for Real Madrid on 28 June, 2010 for a fee of €25 million + €11 million in bonuses.
Despite impressing with los Blancos in the 2013/2014 La Liga campaign, the club chiefs decided to sell him to Manchester United on 26 August, 2014. Di Maria was playing below expectations at Old Trafford and he scored three goals in 27 league games for the Red Devils.
In 2015 he moved to Paris Saint-Germain and he scored 10 goals in 29 league appearances for les Parisiens in the 2015/2016 Ligue 1 campaign. In 2014 he won the Champions League trophy with Real Madrid and that is considered the biggest success of his career. Angel Di Maria was born in Rosario on 14 February, 1988.
Highlighted Team (Paris SG):
Formed by the merger of Paris FC and Stade Saint-Germain in 1970, Paris Saint-Germain or as they call it PSG is the most successful club in French football with 31 domestic titles to their name. Having won six Ligue 1 title so far, a record ten Coupes de France, a record six Coupes de la Ligue, six Trophees des Champions and one Ligue 2 title, PSG are also one of only two French clubs to ever win a European title.
Les Parisiens were crowned UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup champions back in 1995-96, while their last European trophy was the 2001 UEFA Intertoto Cup. Beginning of the new millennium was particularly hard for the celebrated club who flirted with relegation in 2000s before they were bought by the Quatar Sports Investments group in 2011 when the rebirth of the Paris Saint-Germain as we know it today began.
Following heavy squad investments and team boosting, PSG won their first Ligue 1 title in 19 years with Swedish legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic almost singlehandedly leading his side towards the trophy with 30 goals. Having established domestic dominance, PSG now set their sights on winning the Champions League which remains an elusive dream for the club from Paris.
