Saint-Denis (AFP)

Paris SG does not want to end up empty-handed, Monaco has been waiting to win a Coupe de France for 30 years: the final promises between two of the best teams of the season, Wednesday (9:15 p.m.), at the Stade de France.

And on Sunday, the two teams still have a reward to go for: PSG can be champion of France, Monaco also has a chance, but will above all aim to already keep its third place and its ticket for the Champions League.

"We have two finals to play. Tomorrow (Wednesday) is the first", launches the Parisian captain Marquinhos.

Then we will have to win in Brest and hope that Lille, still leader, does not win in Angers.

"It's an important week", sums up "Marqui", recalling that "we must not forget that we won the Champions Trophy" in January.

PSG can still finish the season without winning anything better.

"The Coupe de France has, this year, the power to give even more flavor to a season hitherto rather marked with the seal of disenchantment," notes the daily Le Parisien on Wednesday.

- "The finals are won" -

"The finals are won," recalls coach Mauricio Pochettino, who only has the modest Champions Trophy to his coaching record.

Record holder of the event with 13 victories, PSG are "favorites", according to their ASM counterpart Niko Kovac.

But in Monaco, recalls its captain Wissam Ben Yedder, "the club has been waiting for 30 years" to lift the Charles-Simon Cup.

# photo1

In 1991, the princely club, thanks to a goal from Gerald Passi at the last minute, beat Olympique de Marseille (1-0), still bruised by its failure in Bari against the Red Star of Belgrade in the final of the Champions Cup.

This story is old but recent history reminds us that Monaco is the only team to have beaten PSG twice this season, with Manchester City in the Champions League semi-finals (2-1, 2-0).

"Monaco has the recipe", headlines the sports newspaper L'Equipe, also recalling the record of Kovac, winner of the German Cup twice as coach, with Frankfurt (2018) and Munich (2019).

"The right to believe", puts in "a" Monaco-Matin.

"Monaco is a tough, physically strong team that beat us in February (2-0 at the Parc)", remembers Mauricio Pochettino, who was not at Louis-II in the first leg, where Thomas Tuchel's players s' were beaten 3-2 after leading 2-0.

"But the finals are different," adds the Argentine coach, assuring that for his part he remained "quiet".

“I am a calm coach,” he said.

- "Free the heads, the feet will follow" -

Niko Kovac also seems to spread his calm to his players.

"We have to play with confidence," said the Croatian technician.

"If you don't believe in yourself you can't win, you are mentally blocked, you have to unblock the mind. Let the heads free and the feet will follow."

Monaco is complete for this match, Sofiane Diop and Stevan Jovetic are fit, Kovac just has to choose his goalkeeper between his holder Benjamin Lecomte and the Polish Radoslaw Majecki, who has played all the cup matches.

Pochettino is deprived of Marco Verratti (knee) and Neymar and Presnel Kimpembe, whose suspensions were confirmed after consultation with the CNOSF (French National Olympic and Sports Committee), seized by PSG.

# photo2

"Me, I always like to play against the best, but the rules are the rules, they are clear," commented Kovac.

"But it's the same perception for us, we have to defend well and attack well against a very good team and a very good coach".

Then it will be time for both of you to think about the second "final" of the week.

© 2021 AFP