PSG vs Paris FC
, KO: 20:10 , Parc des Princes
PSG are collecting trophies as if it were child's play, and now it's time for a new round of the Coupe de France, in which they face their city rivals from the top flight, Paris FC.
The Parisians have won two trophies in the last month, first triumphing in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup in December and then beating Marseille for the French Super Cup earlier this week.
Yes, these trophies are not like winning the league or the Champions League, but they certainly help the team's confidence given the tough second half of the season that awaits them.
Interestingly, they already played against Paris FC just a week ago, but in the top flight, and won 2-1. Given the poor form of the visitors, few people will expect a different outcome in this second match.
Following years of struggle, Paris FC finally returned to Ligue 1 at the end of last season, but they may be relegated again this year. The Blues are scoring a surprising number of goals, but they also have the second-worst defence in the top flight, conceding 31 goals in 17 games.
How the bookies view it: PSG back-to-back wins
The odds are about the same as a week ago, with PSG favoured heavily to win again. The difference is so significant that we wouldn't even consider betting on the regular market.
Right now, you can back PSG at just 1/5, while Paris FC are available at 9/1. Bookmakers also don't believe the visitors stand a chance of pushing the match beyond regular time, with the draw being priced at 6/1.
Recent head-to-head: PSG won the first derby in 45+ years
This is one of the most interesting active city derbies, as the teams have only met three times in official matches, despite having existed since the 1970s. In fact, this is only the second season in their entire history that the teams have been in the same league.
Their first meetings date back to the distant 1978-79 season, when both matches ended in a draw. The derby was revived this season after Paris FC's promotion, with their first match played a week ago and the champions winning 2-1.
Players to watch: Dembele has much to prove
After a horrific first half of the season, Ousmane Dembele is back to his old self, scoring goals and pushing PSG forward. The most recent Ballon d’Or winner scored in all three most recent matches, including the recent H2H with Paris FC.
It remains to be seen whether Luis Enrique will play his best squad or opt for more reserves, but given the fact Dembele played 61 minutes in the previous Coupe de France round, we expect to see the best version of PSG.
Probable line-ups
PSG: Chevalier, Zaire Emery, Zabarnyi, Pacho, Mendes, Neves, Vitinha, Ruiz, Doue, Dembele, Mayulu
Paris FC: Trapp, Sangui, Mbow, Koldoziejczak, Otavio, De Smet, Gory, Lopez, Camara, Ikone, Geubbels
Anything else catch the eye?
Cup matches are often less intense than league games, so we can expect some action on both ends, including in front of PSG's goal. Moreover, Paris FC scored in the previous fixture a week ago, although the Parisians dominated throughout the entire game.
Other than that, we generally expect to see some corners in this match, as PSG average 7.13 corners taken per home match this season. At the same time, Paris FC are one of the teams that give the most corners away from home, with 6.22 per match.
Think both sides will find the net? Our BTTS Masterclass explains how to spot the fixtures where goals are a given.
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