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Le Puy Foot will square off against Rennes at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in the Coupe de France quarter-finals on Thursday.
The hosts are the only remaining fourth-tier side in the competition and booked their place in the last eight with a 2-1 win over Laval in the previous round. They went unbeaten in their two Championnat National 2 games since that win and registered a 2-0 home victory over Ales on Friday.
The visitors eased past Sochaux in the previous round with a 6-1 win, with Amine Gouiri and Arnaud Kalimuendo bagging braces. They met league leaders Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in Ligue 1 on Sunday, and Gouri was on the scoresheet again, giving them the lead in the 33rd minute.
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They were denied a win after Gonçalo Ramos bagged a last-gasp equalizer from the penalty spot, as the match ended in a 1-1 draw. A VAR check handed PSG the penalty after Steve Mandanda had fouled Ramos.
Le Puy Foot 43 Auvergne vs Rennes Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- The two teams will meet for the first time.
- The hosts have made it to the quarterfinals of the Coupe de France for the first time in history. Interestingly, they have scored at least twice in their five games in the competition thus far, while conceding three goals.
- The visitors have suffered just one loss in their last 13 games in all competitions, with that loss coming in their away meeting against AC Milan in the UEFA Europa League knockout round playoffs earlier this month.
- Le Puy Foot are on a 16-game unbeaten run in all competitions.
- Rennes have suffered four losses in their last nine games in the Coupe de France, with all of those defeats coming in away games.
Le Puy Foot 43 Auvergne vs Rennes Prediction
The hosts have won five of their last six games in all competitions and will look to continue that form. They have registered back-to-back wins in their last three games in the Coupe de France.
Auvergne will play at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, so they won't have the home advantage in this match. Nonetheless, it has been reported that as many as 30,000 fans are set to travel to support their club in their first-ever quarterfinals in the Coupe de France.
Les Rouge et Noirs have been in good touch in 2024, winning nine of 11 games this year. They have won four of their last six away games and will look to continue that run in this match.
Fabian Rieder, Enzo Le Fée, and Mahamadou Nagida remain sidelined through injuries and are not an option for head coach Julien Stéphan. Azor Matusiwa is back from suspension and should start here alongside Martin Terrier and Benjamin Bourigeaud, who were on the bench against PSG.
The hosts play for the first time in the quarterfinals of the Coupe de France, while the visitors are three-time champions. The nerves might get the better of the hosts here, and considering the visitors' better squad quality, Rennes are expected to eke out a narrow win.
Prediction: Le Puy Foot 43 Auvergne 1-2 Rennes
Le Puy Foot 43 Auvergne vs Rennes Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Rennes to win
Tip 2: Goals - Over/Under 2.5 Goals - Over 2.5 goals
Tip 3: At least a goal to be scored in the second half - Yes
Tip 4: Benjamin Bourigeaud to score or assist any time - Yes
