This month will be a very busy one for French powerhouse PSG, as Les Parisiens are involved in four different competitions, which includes the league, two domestic cups and of course, the Champions League. As such, Laurent Blanc may opt to tinker with his formation with one eye on the upcoming clash with familiar opponents Chelsea looming on the horizon.
Even though Zlatan Ibrahimovic put in a good performance against Lyon, dispatching a spot-kick in the second half to make sure his side managed to earn a point, the 33-year-old Swedish star has finally started to show signs of his advancing years and has struggled during parts of this season due to injuries.
As a result, he could be rested to keep him fresh for the big match against his former coach Jose Mourinho and Edinson Cavani, who has been repeatedly linked with an exit could deputize for him in his preferred center-forward position.
Although league wise, PSG enjoy a 15 point lead over Nantes, the reigning Ligue 1 champions will still want to take this match seriously. Les Canaris have performed solidly so far this campaign, with a respectable ninth-placed spot seeing them in the top half of the table after 24 rounds.
Here's how the two sides compare in the league ahead of their Coupe de France clash
In addition, they were able to dispatch league leaders Lyon en route to this stage in the Coupe de France, and any team that has made it this far certainly has the potential to win it all. Just ask any Ligue 1 fan about last season's winners, Guingamp, who shocked French football followers by managing to lift the trophy, despite barely surviving relegation.
Certainly, the visitors will hope that their opponents will have one eye on their big match against Chelsea and may be somewhat distracted, but they can only hope. Blanc's side, though, will definitely have to be wary of their upcoming opponents as they can potentially cause an upset, especially if midfielder Jordan Veretout is able to make his mark.
Despite not being an attacker, the 21-year-old, who plays for France's U-21 side, is presently his side's leading scorer with six goals and an additional four assists so far, and his teammates will be counting on the rising youngster to have an impact at the Parc des Princes.
The Coupe de France trophy has been celebrated over 10 times--11 to be exact--between these two sides, but at the end of it all, only one will be heading on to the quarter-finals after what hopefully should be an entertaining battle for fans and general French football followers alike.
Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Follow the game on-the-go
Download our iOS and Android apps to follow soccer on-the-go. It comes packed with features - live scores, fixtures, results, tables, line-ups, stats, TV schedule and much more! Sorry, no live streaming within the app.
