Paris (AFP)

After the Pau early departure for Bordeaux, Thursday in the round of 16 of the Coupe de France in Béarn (defeat 3-2 ap), the greats of Ligue 1 are warned: beware of unpleasant surprises this weekend!

The Rennes title holder, traveling on Sunday at the Athlético Marseille (N3), is prima facie better off than Lyon and Paris SG, who will venture out Saturday in Nantes and Sunday in Lorient.

But the presence of the Reunion Islanders of JS Saint-Pierroise in the round of 32 attests to this: the ogres must be wary of small thumbs, under penalty of drinking the Cup to the dregs.

- Nice evening at the Beaujoire -

The poster for this weekend in the Coupe de France opposes Nantes, dashing 4th in Ligue 1, to Olympique Lyonnais, 7th.

Qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League, Lyon borders on overheating since it will face Lille in the semi-final of the League Cup on Tuesday, three days after its escapade from Nantes.

"Surprised" by the tight schedule of matches, Rhone coach Rudi Garcia has promised that his team, deprived of rear Léo Dubois and Youssouf Koné, injured, would play "to (qualify)".

On the canary side, morale is high since Nantes returned to the foot of the Ligue 1 podium by taking their first victory on Sunday since 2000 in Saint-Etienne.

- 16th at the beach for the 2019 finalists -

Meet at the edge of the Mediterranean for the outgoing winner, Rennes, who will challenge Athlético Marseille in Fos-sur-Mer on Sunday.

Faced with the National 3 club (5th division), the Red and Black will be keen to take their revenge on Marseille, nine days after OM's victory over Rennes in L1.

PSG, beaten by Rennes in the final of the last Coupe de France, will go to the Atlantic coast to face another Breton club, Lorient.

At the head of Ligue 2, the Hake will want to offer the scalp of a new Ligue 1 club, after having taken Brest out in the previous round.

Parisian coach Thomas Tuchel has already warned his players. "I want us to be the best team in every game," said the German.

- La Saint-Pierroise for history -

At each round its record: first club from Reunion to reach the sixteenth finals of the Coupe de France after its 2-1 victory against Niort (L2), Saint-Pierroise may become the only overseas team to have risen to eighth.

For that, the Storks, which play in Regional 1 (that is to say the sixth division), will have to be essential on the ground of Epinal (N2).

It remains to digest the movement to the metropolis, to which all overseas clubs are forced during their matches in the Coupe de France, as well as the growing media pressure.

A priori more balanced duels loom on Saturday for Prix-les-Mézières and Limonest, both active in National 3, and Sunday for Dijon and Nîmes, boarders of the elite.

Program for the sixteenth finals of the Coupe de France (if the match takes place in a stadium other than that of the club visited, the place is mentioned):

Saturday January 18

(1:00 p.m.) Epinal (N2) - JS Saint-Pierroise (R1)

Nice (L1) - Red Star (N1)

Prix ​​les Mézières (N3) - Limonest (N3), in Charleville-Mézières

(3:00 p.m.) Gonfreville (N3) - Lille (L1), in Le Havre

Belfort (N2) - Nancy (L2)

(6 p.m.) Paris FC (L2) - St Etienne (L1)

Angoulême (N2) - Strasbourg (L1)

(8:55 p.m.) Nantes (L1) - Lyon (L1)

Sunday January 19

(5:15 p.m.) Rouen (N2) - Angers (L1)

Athletico Marseille (N3) - Rennes (L1), in Fos-sur-Mer

Montpellier (L1) - Caen (L2)

Dijon (L1) - Nîmes (L1)

(8:55 p.m.) Lorient (L2) - PSG (L1)

Monday January 20

(8:55 p.m.) St Pryvé St Hilaire (N2) - Monaco (L1), in Orléans

© 2020 AFP