On the eve of their meeting with Stade Briochin in the quarter-finals of the Coupe de France at Roazhon Park on Wednesday 26 February (9.10pm), we take a closer look at the Parisians' next step in the oldest of competitions. We explore the routes the clubs have taken, the dynamics of the game and focus on the opposition, who will be looking to pull off another big upset.
A look at the journeys
Stade Briochin began their Coupe de France adventure with a 0-1 defeat of Plouvorn (R1) in the 4th round of the competition. After beating Lannion (N3, 0-2), the Briochins got the better of Uzel Merléac (0-3) and Paimpol (0-3) in the following rounds, both from Régional 2. In the 8th round, Guillaume Allanou's got a big win by eliminating Saint-Malo, then leaders of their National 2 group, after a 0-0 draw (5-4 on penalties). But that was nothing compared to what the Costarmoricains would achieve thereafter: a first XXL victory over Ligue 1 Le Havre (1-0), followed by a second over 6th-placed Ligue 2 side Annecy (1-1, 4-3 on penalties) before the climax against Nice, currently 3rd in Ligue 1 (2-1).
As for Paris Saint-Germain, they made their Coupe de France debut in the Round of 64, as did all the Ligue 1 clubs. Their first challenge in the competition was an intense battle at Lens, which ended in a 1-1 draw before a penalty shoot-out victory (3-4). The draw was then kind to the club from the capital, who were drawn against Espaly (N3) in the round of 32, who gave the Parisians a run for their money without threatening their qualification (2-4), before winning in the Sarthe in the next round against a solid Le Mans team (N1, 0-2).
The dynamics in numbers
The opposition
The history of Stade Briochin goes back more than a century. Founded in 1904, the Breton club has risen through the ranks over the decades, culminating in a D3 championship title in 1993, its first step into the second division and professional status. After a more difficult period at the start of the 21st century, during which the Côtes d'Armor side mainly lived in the shadow of rivals Guingamp, the Griffons were National 3 champions in 2017 and then National 2 champions in 2020. They then spent three seasons in National 1, before being relegated at the end of the 2022-2023 season.
Since then, the Saint-Brieuc club have stabilised in the fourth tier of French football, establishing themselves as an established team at this level. Partners of Stade Rennais FC for 10 years now, the Briochins finished 6th in their group last season, and are currently in 9th place in National 2 Group B, with a game in hand. In their latest league outing, the Jaune et Bleu impressed with a comprehensive 6-2 win over Granville of Normandy. The result bodes well for the Griffons as they prepare to face the Parisians in their first ever Coupe de France quarter-final.
