Troyes will seek a place in the Coupe de France quarter-finals for the first time in a dozen years when they host Brest on Tuesday at Stade de l'Aube.
A 1-0 victory over Rennes in mid-January sealed a place in the last 16 for ESTAC, while the side from Brittany held onto a 2-1 win over Nantes.
Match preview
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In what has been an inconsistent Ligue 2 campaign for Troyes, they have been extremely sharp and clinical in the Coupe de France this season.
Stephane Dumont's men have lost three of their last four domestic affairs but have won their four matches in this tournament convincingly, by a combined margin of 8-1.
On Tuesday, they will have an opportunity to knock off another top-flight side in this competition after keeping Rennes at bay last month, despite having just 32% of the ball and one effort on target.
This will be the third time in the last nine years that they feature in the last 16 of the Coupe de France, losing out at this stage in 2018 and 2016, while advancing all the way to the semi-finals in 2013.
Troyes have never been behind for a single minute in the competition this season, winning 10 consecutive competitive fixtures when netting the opener, conceding just once during that run.
They have not lost a Coupe de France contest at home in normal time since suffering a 3-1 defeat versus Nancy in the fifth round of the tournament in 2014.
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Since the beginning of the new year, we have seen two sides of Stade Brestois, one that have struggled in Europe but another which have been in strong form domestically.
Eric Roy's men lost their last two Champions League matches by a 5-0 combined margin, but have won three of their previous four Ligue 1 affairs.
Les Pirates have qualified for the round of 16 in three of the previous four editions of this competition but have not made it beyond this stage since 2015, when they were quarter-finalists.
Brest have won three of their previous four away matches versus French opposition while claiming a triumph in their only game as the visitors at the Coupe de France this season (1-0 over La Roche).
Since suffering a 3-2 extra-time defeat against Concarneau in the fourth round in 2017, they have gone on to win their last six away matches in this tournament versus sides in Ligue 2 or lower.
The last six times that they have battled Troyes in a competitive fixture, Brest managed to avoid defeat, while they have not lost to them at Stade de l'Aube since an April 2017 Ligue 2 affair (1-0).
Team News
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Because of a knock sustained early last month, Troyes may be without Alexandre Phliponeau on Tuesday, while captain Mehdi Tahrat is dealing with a leg injury, making him doubtful for this match.
An early second-half strike from Rafiki Said was all they would need to upset Rennes in the previous round, as Nicolas Lemaitre made four stops for his first clean sheet of the competition.
On the Brest side, Bradley Locko remains a doubt due to a lower leg issue, Jordan Amavi has a sore thigh, while Massadio Haidara and Jonas Martin are questionable with muscle strains.
Goals by Abdallah Sima and Brendan Chardonnet were just enough for them to see off Nantes in their previous Coupe de France affair.
Troyes possible starting lineup:
Lemaitre; Mendes, Monfray, Diaz, Gozzi; Chavalerin; Irie, Diop, M'Changama, Said; de Preville
Brest possible starting lineup:
Coudert; Zogbe, Chardonnet, Ndiaye, Pereira Lage; Camara, Magnetti; Doumbia, Faivre, Balde; Ajorque
We say: Troyes 0-1 Brest
Expect to see primarily defensive tactics for Troyes on Tuesday, though their upcoming opponents have the pieces to counter that and have won their share of close games domestically this year.
Several of Brest's top attacking playmakers are back from the injury front and should be able to eventually unlock a stubborn ESTAC backline.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Joel Lefevre
