FC Nantes shocked French football by winning the Coupe de France Final 2022 against Nice 1-0. The Canaries went on an incredible run to lift their fourth Coupe de France trophy.
The unexpected cup win from a season ago has been followed by another incredible journey to the Coupe de France Final. On Saturday, Nantes will square off with Toulouse, another unlikely club playing for a piece of French football history.
💬 "On a coeur de garder notre titre"@AlbanLafont avant la finale.— FC Nantes (@FCNantes) April 27, 2023
💬 "On a coeur de garder notre titre"@AlbanLafont avant la finale.
France’s big names were all dumped out of the tournament along the way. Paris Saint-Germain, Marseille, Lille, Monaco, and Lyon failed to reach the final once more.
The 2023 Coupe de France Final between Nantes and Toulouse shows French football’s current state of anything can happen.
Nantes reached the final with a round of 64 win over Virois 2-0. A round of 32 match against ES Thaon ended nil-nil at full-time, with Nantes winning 4-2 on penalties.
In the round of 16, Nantes again needed penalties after a 1-1 draw with Angers. The Canaries won 4-2 on spot kicks. Nantes’ first “real” test came in the quarterfinals against Lens. The game ended 2-1 in favour of Nantes. The Canaries went on to defeat Lyon in the semifinals 1-0.
Toulouse's cup journey started with a 7-1 win over Lannion. A 2-0 home win over Ajaccio followed before a 3-1 win over Reims in the last 16. The quarterfinals saw Toulouse defeat Rodez 6-1 before claiming a 2-1 win over Annecy in the semifinals.
Nantes defeated Toulouse in their previous Ligue 1 fixture this season. The Canaries won 3-1 thanks to second-half goals from Evann Guessand, Mostafa Mohamed, and Moses Simon. All three goals came after Toulouse took a first-half lead through Zakaria Aboukhlal.
It was the teams’ first encounter since 2020-21 when they met in a Ligue 1 relegation-promotion playoff. Both clubs have come far since then.
Nantes’ league form has likely suffered due to their cup run. The Canaries are 16th in the Ligue 1 standings and only outside the bottom four thanks to goal difference.
A win on Saturday in the cup final could spur them on in the league. A loss could do the opposite.
Manager Antoine Kombouare masterminded Nantes’ cup win last season. He will be without midfielder Pedro Chirivella, who is out for the rest of the season with a groin injury. Goalkeeper Remy Descamps is unlikely to play.
For Toulouse, Midfielder Brecht Dejaegere is unlikely to make the squad following a concussion. Forward Rhys Healey has an ACL injury and is out for the rest of the season.
Saturday’s cup final should finish 2-2, with the teams needing extra time and possibly penalties to sort out the winner.