Angers head into their Coupe de France last-16 tie with Sedan looking to return to form after a frustrating period in Ligue 1.
While their next opponents play in the fourth tier of French football, Les Sangliers are currently on a nine-match unbeaten streak in all competitions.
Match preview
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Having already reached the 40-point mark in Ligue 1, Angers boss Stephane Moulin knows that his side will not have to cope with a relegation scrap during the closing weeks of the season.
Nevertheless, one win in nine matches has left the club down in 11th position, eight points adrift of the top five.
To their credit, just one defeat has been posted since February 21, but four draws have effectively eliminated the Blacks and Whites from the race for Europa League qualification through the league.
On a positive note, Angers have avoided one of the big guns left in this competition, reward for taking the scalp of Rennes earlier in the tournament.
Ibrahim Amadou and Angelo Fulgini have netted five of Angers' seven goals in this competition, while Stephane Bahoken ended his prolonged goal drought with an effort against Montpellier at the weekend.
Although Angers are the clear favourites to reach the last eight, there is no room for complacency against opponents who are playing with confidence.
Sedan have emerged victorious in their most recent five matches in all competitions, extending an unbeaten period which has lasted since September.
Playing just nine games in almost seven months has not been ideal for Olivier Saragaglia and his squad, but they are refreshed ahead of attempting to progress further in this competition.
While 13 goals have been scored in four ties this season, Sedan are yet to face opposition from the top flight.
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Team News
With the cup potentially taking priority over the league, Moulin could avoid the temptation of rotating his squad for this contest.
Lois Diony is an alternative to Antonin Bobichon on the left-hand side of midfield, while Mateo Pavlovic could get the nod over veteran Ismael Traore.
Sedan have not played a competitive fixture for a month, giving Saragaglia plenty of time to assess the fitness of his squad.
Francois Borgniet and Neupoc Mendy are in line for recalls after helping change the game as half-time substitutes against Saint-Louis Neuweg.
Sedan possible starting lineup:
Lembet; Calvet, Harvey, Senzemba, Basimba, Dahchour, Borgniet, Misiatu, Geran, Ramalingom, N.Mendy
Angers possible starting lineup:
Bernardoni; Manceau, Pavlovic, Thomas, Doumbia; Capelle, Amadou, Mangani, Diony; Fulgini; Bahoken
We say: Sedan 0-2 Angers
Despite the gulf in class between the two clubs, we expect a competitive encounter to play out on Wednesday. Nevertheless, Angers should have enough quality at both ends of the pitch to eventually nullify their opponents, keeping them on track for another appearance in the latter stages.
Top tip
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Angers win with a probability of 63.31%. A draw had a probability of 22.5% and a win for Sedan had a probability of 14.21%.
The most likely scoreline for an Angers win was 0-1 with a probability of 14.8%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 0-2 (13.21%) and 1-2 (9.31%). The likeliest drawn scoreline was 1-1 (10.42%), while for a Sedan win it was 1-0 (5.84%). The actual scoreline of 0-1 was predicted with a 14.8% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted a 0-1 win for Angers in this match.
