Nancy will take on Amiens in the French Cup last-16 round at the Stade Marcel-Picot on Saturday. The kick-off is at 17:15 CEST.

Preview

You'd arguably be surprised to find out that second-tier Nancy have already eliminated two Ligue 1 outfits from the French Cup to find themselves one step away from the competition's quarter-finals. First, Albert Cartier's men beat Troyes in December before defeating Rennes on January 2, both on penalties after battling draws. What makes it even more surprising is that the Thistles sit at the very bottom of the Ligue 2 standings following an embarassing 4-0 loss at the hands of Toulouse last week.

Amies, meanwhile, first saw off Guingamp (3-2) in the last-64 round but needed penalties to beat Linas-Montlhery at the previous stage of the competition. As well as their forthcoming opponents, Philippe Hinschberger's side can't really be satisfied with their position in the Ligue 2 table as they slipped down to 13th, just three points clear of the relegation zone, after a 1-1 draw with Quevilly Rouen on Wednesday.

Team news

While Thomas Basila is suspended for this one, Saliou Ciss is out for the hosts due to his involvement at the Africa Cup of Nations. Nicholas Opoku, in turn, is the only injury absentee in the visitors' squad.

Prediction

Given Nancy's heroics in the competition this season so far and the fact that Cartier's crop have had one more week to prepare for this encounter than Amiens, we'd rather stick with the Thistles this time around. However, as the upcoming rivals registered battling draws in each of their two league head-to-head meetings in 2021, let's say that you can expect a quite entertaining encounter between the two on Saturday too.

Tip

Total over 2.5 at 2.29 with 1XBET.