Preview: Canet Roussillon vs. Boulogne - prediction, team news, lineups

Canet Roussillon take on Boulogne in the last 16 of the Coupe de France on Wednesday.

The clubs are two of nine sides currently competing outside of Ligue 1 to have made it as far as this stage of France's domestic cup this season.

Match preview

Indeed, having been promoted from the fifth tier of French football last season, Canet Roussillon have been denied the opportunity of a full season at a higher level this season.

Farid Fouzari's side were 12th in Group D of the Championnat National 2 level after nine games before the campaign was declared null and void due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As such, Canet Roussillon's only competitive matches since the turn of the year have been the Coupe de France games they have won to progress to this stage of the competition, with their win against Marseille in the last round in March arguably one of the biggest shocks in the competition's history.

Jeremy Posteraro and Yohan Bai scored either side of Arkadiusz Milik's equaliser to set up the chance to reach the quarter-final of the competition by beating Boulogne on Wednesday.

Having been third in the third tier of French football prior to the curtailment of last season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Boulogne were denied the opportunity of a playoff against the 18th-placed side in Ligue 2 to earn promotion.

Their misfortune has developed into a serious malaise this season, with Laurent Guyot's side currently staring relegation in the face having amassed only 23 points from 25 league matches so sit bottom of the Championnat National table.

Guyot's side do have games in hand on their rivals, though, with the Coupe de France providing a welcome respite from their league struggles.

Boulogne have not had the chance to record an upset on the scale of Canet Roussillon's against Marseille, but Guyot will not complain regarding any allegations that his side have been handed a rather kind route to this stage of the competition.

Team News

Canet Roussillon are likely to keep faith with the same players who helped notch their historic victory against Marseille in the last round of the competition.

There may be an element of rustiness given that it is a month since their last competitive match, but Bai and Posteraro will be hoping that they can perform similar heroics.

Boulogne, meanwhile, may also look to select the same XI which comfortably defeated Beauvais in the previous round.

Oussama Adbeldjelil and Christian Senneville were the goalscorers on the day.

Canet Roussillon possible starting lineup:
Graves; Martin, Diarra, Mbimba, Ba; Bai, Posteraro, Gasparotto; Pioton, Vercruysse, Lybohy

Boulogne possible starting lineup:
Lugier; Oyono, Mendy, Frikeche, Duterte; Beghin, Bumbu, Eto'o; Moussaki, Odzoumo, Abdeldjelil

We say: Canet Roussillon 1-1 Boulogne

Boulogne have drawn five league matches in a row, so we can envisage this one going all the way to penalties after a tight encounter.

After their magnificent win against Marseille in the last round, Canet Roussillon will feel that they have the magic of the cup on their side, which could be a huge boost in terms of their chances of progressing against another higher-ranked club.