Paris (AFP)
The Coupe de la Ligue will not be missed. Nevertheless, its latest edition, which begins Tuesday for clubs L1 with Bordeaux-Dijon and continues Wednesday with Monaco-Marseille, will adorn a list of achievements and offer a ticket for the Europa League.
One thing is certain: Paris will remain the most successful team in the history of this Cup, regardless of the winner of this 26th and last year. It remains to be seen whether PSG will win for the ninth time the competition, created in 1994 and will stop for lack of broadcaster, or if a surprise will arise, like Strasbourg last year.
The round of 32 will give the first elements of answer. And in expectation of Paris, Lille, Lyon and Saint-Etienne, the first four leavers of the Ligue 1 qualified directly for the next round, the shock Monaco-Marseille will take the lead.
Against his Mediterranean rival, Marseille will be keen to recover, three days after taking the water against the rival Paris Sunday (4-0 at the Parc des Princes). Monaco will want to confirm his fitness after winning four of his last five games.
Three other duels will oppose residents of the elite: Bordeaux-Dijon Tuesday, Amiens-Angers and Metz-Brest Wednesday. The other meetings will all face a club of L1 and L2.
Except one: Reims, surprising 4th of L1, against Bourg-en-Bresse, Small Thumb of National came to end on penalties on the previous round of Beziers, also in National.
Program of the League Cup Round of 16:
Tuesday:
(18h45) Nîmes - Lens
(21h05) Bordeaux - Dijon
Wednesday:
(18h45) Le Mans - Nice
(21h05) Amiens - Angers
Montpellier - Nancy
Reims - Bourg-en-Bresse
Monaco - Marseille
Metz - Brest
Nantes - Paris FC
Niort - Toulouse
© 2019 AFP