PSG's world-class strike force exacted 9-0 revenge on Coupe de la Ligue nemesis Guingamp, with hat-tricks for Edinson Cavani and Kylian

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1 NEWSLETTER LIGUE 1 CONFORAMA Week 21 review: PSG run riot as OL take derby honours PSG's world-class strike force exacted 9-0 revenge on Coupe de la Ligue nemesis Guingamp, with hat-tricks for Edinson Cavani and Kylian Mbappé, while Lyon claimed a dramatic late 2-1 win over ASSE in the Rhône derby. EA Guingamp stunned French football's dominant force by derailing their title at a sixth-straight Coupe de la Ligue title with a shock 2-1 quarter-final win in early January. PSG's response? A merciless 9-0 demolition - Paris' biggest-ever home league win, eclipsing last season's 8-0 hammering of Dijon. Edinson Cavani starred with a hat-trick and two assists, while Kylian Mbappé also got a match ball and the influential Neymar Jr got two goals of his own to make sure that the capital club's MCN trio occupy the top three places on the Ligue 1 Conforama scoring charts - in that order. Thomas Meunier rounding out the scoring late in the piece. "I don't think I've ever seen that before, 9-0 in a league match. We played with a lot of quality and got better as the game went on. We kept it simple and were fast and efficient. It was important to play like that. It was a complete performance," said coach Thomas Tuchel - whose side remain unbeaten in the league this season - before turning to the one back spot on the evening, an ankle injury to Marco Verratti that has him in doubt to face Manchester United. "I'm very sad. We already needed to strengthen in that area but his injury changes everything. I think it's serious. It's possible that he'll be out for a few weeks. He's in hospital right now and we can't say more for the moment." The weekend's main attraction, however, was Sunday evening's Rhône derby in Saint-Etienne, and it did not disappoint, yielding a derby-record 39 shots (16 on target) - the last of which was Moussa Dembélé's pin-point header that swayed the result OL's way in the dying seconds! "I'm very happy, and proud of my players. I said in the pre-match talk that our biggest opponent would be ourselves, and the players really stepped up," said OL boss Bruno Genesio, whose side will draw confidence from the come-from-behind win as their UEFA Champions League tie with Barcelona looms. "Tonight, there was more emotion than when we beat them 5-0 [in Week 12 last season]." Opposite number Jean-Louis Gasset, whose side conceded third place to their opponents on the night did his best to remain positive: "To lose the derby in the final seconds is really tough. It's frustrating; we deserved a draw. I'll congratulate my players on Monday - we mixed it with a side built for Champions League football. The season isn't over." Second-placed LOSC managed to remain three points of OL, however, maintaining their 'best of the rest' tag with a 2-1 come-from-behind win over Amiens that saw golden boy Nicolas Pépé miss a penalty before providing the assist for Rafael Leao's fourth in as many matches. Xeka hit the winner five minutes from time. "We can't say [Nicolas Pepe] had his best match nor that it was his worst. It wasn't his best day, but Nicolas not on his best day is still a threat," said Les Dogues boss Christophe Galtier. "It was tough, we had to dig deep, we had to go out and look for the win. That meant working carefully on our transitions and crosses. It's already an improvement because we won." Meanwhile struggling Olympique de Marseille broke their nine-match winless run in all competitions with a 1-0 win away to ten-man Caen, Morgan Sanson giving embattled coach Rudi Garcia - who had opted to leave captain Dimitri Payet on the bench - something to smile about. "We finally got a result which our performances have deserved. It may not be the best match we've ever played but we had to adapt to a very physical Caen team," said the OM boss. "But we could have managed the game better and gone for a second goal." 01/25/2019 Ligue de Football Professionnel / Ligue1.com 1

2 In-form Strasbourg claimed what on most other weekends would have been the round's biggest win as they travelled to beleaguered Monaco. Withy newly signed defender Naldo seeing red on seven minutes, Strasbourg - who in turn had Stefan Mitrovic sent off (69') - put a 5-1 beating on Thierry Henry's side to climb to fifth, with Ludovic Ajorque claiming two goals and an assist. Monaco remain three points shy of safety. Montpellier and Rennes' European dreams weren't helped by their playing out a 0-0 draw that saw the Brittany side go two matches without a win for the first time under new boss Julien Stéphan, while Nice snatched a point with one of the latest equalisers ever as Rémi Walter struck from the spot a full nine minutes into stoppage time following a lengthy VAR consultation. Toulouse got back to winning ways with a 1-0 victory in Nîmes while Angers handed Nantes a third-straight defeat by the same scoreline and Bordeaux had Andreas Cornelius to thank for their commensurate win at home to Dijon. Week 21 reactions - Genesio: 'More emotion' OL boss Bruno Genesio was beside himself after Moussa Dembélé's last-gasp header swayed the Rhône derby Lyon's way 2-1; opposite number Jean-Louis Gasset looked to stay positive despite bitter disappointment. Sunday, January 20, 2019 AS Saint-Etienne 1-1 Olympique Lyonnais Jean-Louis Gasset (AS Saint-Etienne coach): "I knew that this can be a cruel job, but tonight has been a real kick in the teeth. To lose the derby in the final seconds is really tough. We played the match we wanted to play - I promised the fans that we would play with spirit and we gave our all. It was a good match, with great chances and a couple of situations where you wonder how we didn't score. And then the catastrophe with their final ball in front of goal. It's frustrating; we deserved a draw. I'll congratulate my players on Monday - we mixed it with a side built for Champions League football. The season isn't over." Bruno Genesio (Olympique Lyonnais coach): "I'm very happy, and proud of my players. I said in the pre-match talk that our biggest opponent would be ourselves, and the players really stepped up. When we beat them 5-0 [in Saint-Etienne in Week 12 of the Ligue 1 Conforama season], the final stages of the match were plain sailing. But tonight, it was like 2013, when Jimmy Briand scored in extra time [2-1], or like in 2008, when Karim Benzema equalised with a free-kick [1-1]. It was a kind of exceptional deliverance. Tonight, there was more emotion than when we beat them 5-0." Stade Rennais FC 0-0 Montpellier Hérault SC Julien Stephan (Rennes coach): "I've got mixed feelings. I'm disappointed with the result. The teams were well enough matched but we could've won. We knew we were up against a well-organised team. We're frustrated, but we can be satisfied with the effort we put in. We pressed hard and the players deserved better." Michel Der Zakarian (Montpellier coach): "This is a good point to pick up against a direct rival for European competition. We created a lot of chances in the first half. Hatem Ben Arfa was dangerous on a couple of occasions. He can make the difference on his own. The draw is logical, though." Angers SCO 1-0 FC Nantes Stéphane Moulin (Angers coach): "We know what it's like to lose a game late on. As for this match, we should be clear: except for starting and finishing well, Nantes dominated us. They had two big chances. It's a credit to my players that they held on. It's rare that a team is physically superior to us, but Nantes were. We didn't concede that many chances despite their dominance. We would have been happy with a point so to win is magnificent. It had been six games since we last won." Vahid Halilhodzic (Nantes coach): "It's frustrating and we have regrets. The team didn't play badly but we didn't take our chances. Once again, our opponents had one shot, which they scored. To concede a goal like that is almost malpractice. The worst thing about it is that the team otherwise 01/25/2019 Ligue de Football Professionnel / Ligue1.com 2

3 played well." SM Caen 0-1 Olympique de Marseille Fabien Mercadal (Caen coach): "We played a consistent, committed match, which we had planned to, but we were lacking a goal. We could look at our shortcomings or we would also say that it was a few details that decided it for Marseille. We were certainly committed, but we played cleanly." Rudi Garcia (Marseille coach): "We finally got a result which our performances have deserved. It may not be the best match we've ever played but we had to adapt to a very physical Caen team. We could have managed the game better and gone for a second goal." Girondins de Bordeaux 1-0 Dijon FCO Éric Bedouet (Bordeaux coach): "We need to know how to win ugly. It was tricky. Playing a team with ten men is never easy. We had a bad first half with players playing out of position. The second half was better. We didn't let go but we had to be patient. Dijon are a very well organised team and they were better than us in the first half. They had chances but fortunately Benoît Costil stopped them." Antoine Kombouaré (Dijon coach): "It's more than disappointment. I hated the goal we conceded and I hate this defeat. The boys played a huge game, but this can happen when you're at the bottom. I put myself in the place of the players today. They're suffering after making such a big effort. At least we learned that we can compete with a team like that, that we could play and be solid defensively. I like how we played but this defeat hurts." Saturday, January 19, 2019 Paris Saint-Germain 9-0 EA Guingamp Thomas Tuchel (PSG coach): "I don't think I've ever seen that before, 9-0 in a league match. We played with a lot of quality and got better as the game went on. We kept it simple and were fast and efficient. It was important to play like that. It was a complete performance. I'm very sad [about Marco Verratti's injury]. We already needed to strengthen in that area but his injury changes everything. I think it's serious. It's difficult. It's possible that he'll be out for a few weeks. We have to wait though. He's in hospital right now and we can't say more for the moment." Jocelyn Gourvennec (Guingamp coach): "We were beaten in every area of the game. We were drowned. We made beginners' mistakes. It was like seeing a youth team play against a Ligue 1 team. It was too fast for us. Ten days ago, we won 2-1 here [in the Coupe de la Ligue] and I think we deserved to win that game. We knew that we might be punished the second time around. This is a historic victory but it's also a defeat that hurts. The two games were very different. It's costly for our goal-difference. I remember Dijon conceded eight here [PSG beat Dijon 8-0 in January] but then still stayed in Ligue 1. We must remember that. We knew we'd prodded the wasp's nest and they wanted to set things straight." AS Monaco 1-5 RC Strasbourg Alsace Thierry Henry (Monaco coach): "There was a foul on Rony Lopes in the box at 2-1. We're fighting against everything but if we need to fight against that too we might as well stop. It changed the game. We could have come back and put doubt in their minds." Thierry Laurey (Strasbourg coach): "I'm very proud of my players. When you have this state of mind you're difficult to beat. Some nights everything goes your way and this was one of those nights. I was surprised by Ibrahima Sissoko's strike. Ludovic Ajorque scored and he's not normally in the starting lineup. We can't get carried away though, we gave the ball away too easily. We can improve our performances. I wasn't happy at half-time as we'd let Monaco get back in the game. We recovered in the second half and were able to some good quality goals." Nîmes Olympique 0-1 Toulouse FC Bernard Blaquart (Nîmes coach): "We lacked confidence in the final third. I thought we could've got back on level terms. I have no regrets about playing with a formation. We had chances to score but we failed to take them. We were not beaten in the middle of the park, but Toulouse were nonetheless effective, so credit to them." Alain Casanova (Toulouse coach): "We played a smart game tonight. We were solid and conceded few chances. We defending the wings flanks well 01/25/2019 Ligue de Football Professionnel / Ligue1.com 3

4 and we were strong defending crosses and set pieces. We didn't create that much going forward but we also took our chances. We showed humility and determination against a good Nîmes side who will undoubtedly stay in this division." Stade de Reims 1-1 OGC Nice David Guion (Reims coach): "It's very frustrating because Nice equalised in injury time and we really wanted to reach the 30-point mark. I really liked how we played, especially in the first half. We could have scored a second and put the game to bed. We started well in the second half but then sat too deep. Nice were only dangerous on set pieces. We can be disappointed, but also proud of how the players played." Patrick Vieira (Nice coach): "We deserved this point, it didn't fall from the sky. We played an average match so I'm happy with the point. Tactically, I perhaps played the team into trouble. It was our third match in a week and we struggled physically. I didn't help the boys with the system I chose. They wanted it more than us and can be disappointed. We didn't create enough chances in attack. We need to strengthen in this area but we have to make do with what we have." Friday, January 18, 2019 LOSC 2-1 Amiens SC Christophe Galtier (Lille coach): "We can't say [Nicolas Pepe] had his best match nor that it was his worst. He put in an average performance. In the first game between the two sides this season, he played really well despite being a doubt before kick-off. This morning, he was a big doubt again. He didn't train on Wednesday, yesterday was so-and-so, and he had pain this morning. He insisted on playing. It wasn't his best day, but Nicolas not on his best day is still a threat. It was tough, we had to dig deep, we had to go out and look for the win. That meant working carefully on our transitions and crosses. It's already an improvement because we won." Christophe Pélissier (Amiens coach): "The goal that really hurt us was the one just before half-time that levelled the scores. Our first half was right along the lines that we had wanted. In the second half, we struggled technically and physically, we sat back. There are big regrets, because against teams like that, you have to have concentration and discipline for 95 minutes. We lacked that at the end of each half." Nantes-ASSE, Reims-OM, Strasbourg-Bordeaux rescheduled Two Ligue 1 Conforama matches and one from Week 23 have been rescheduled. FC Nantes - AS Saint-Etienne At the request of authorities in the prefecture of Loire Atlantique, the Ligue 1 Conforama match between FC Nantes and AS Saint-Etienne, initially set for 17:00 CET on Saturday, 26 January, has been rescheduled for Wednesday, 30 January at 21:00 CET. As a consequence, the Coupe de la Ligue BKT semi-final between RC Strasbourg Alsace and Girondins de Bordeaux will be played at the earlier time of 18:45 on the same day. Toulouse FC - Angers SCO At the request of the prefecture of Haute-Garonne, the Ligue 1 Conforama match between Toulouse FC and Angers SCO, initially set for 17:00 CET on Sunday, 27 January, has been pushed back by three hours to 20:00 CET on the same day. Stade de Reims - Olympique de Marseille At the request of the prefecture of Marne, the Ligue 1 Conforama Week 23 match between Stade de Reims and Olympique de Marseille, initially set for 17:00 CET on Saturday, 2 February, has been pushed back four hours to 21:00 CET on the same day. 01/25/2019 Ligue de Football Professionnel / Ligue1.com 4

5 Week 20 reactions - Blaquart: 'A step towards survival' Nîmes boss Bernard Blaquart was a happy man after his side's 3-1 win over Angers in their rescheduled Week 20 clash took them into the top half of the table; opposite number Stéphane Moulin had some harsh words for his team. Wednesday, 23 January, 2019 Nîmes Olympique 3-1 Angers SCO Bernard Blaquart (Nîmes Olympique coach): "This win does us good. We played a very good first half; we were good at winning back the ball and getting forward quickly in numbers. We've now taken six points from three matches in eight days, which is a real step towards securing our survival." Stéphane Moulin (Angers SCO coach): "There wasn't much to be happy about tonight; ouf first half was calamitous. We showed zero intention of playing good football and we were outdone in terms of engagement, which is usually our strong suit. For a whole half of football, we were an absolute zero. We were dominated technically and in terms of physical impact - it wasn't like us at all." SM CAEN-FC NANTES rescheduled The Ligue 1 Conforama Week 23 clash between SM Caen and FC Nantes has been pushed back by 11 days. At the request of the prefecture of Calvados, the Ligue 1 Conforama Week 23 clash between SM Caen and FC Nantes, initially scheduled for 20:00 CET on Saturday, 2 February, has been rescheduled by the LFP's Competitions Commission and will now be played at 19:00 CET on Wednesday, 13 February. Le Spiro: Ligue 1 Conforama struck by Sala tragedy It hasn't been a good week. Personally I've been walking around with an empty feeling in the pit of my stomach since I heard the news on Tuesday morning that an aircraft carrying Emiliano Sala and his pilot had gone missing. I'm sure that most people who follow Ligue 1 will be feeling that same emptiness to a certain degree too. Bad things happen in this world, and they happen on a depressingly regular basis, yet the disappearance of Sala - and the terribly sad, scary details that are slowly emerging - have stirred emotions in me that are hard to explain. It's a combination of sadness and anger, really. How was this allowed to happen? Why did it happen to him? I didn't know Sala well. I had the pleasure of conducting a long television interview with him when he played for Caen, and I remember being impressed by his insistence on conducting the interview in French. He struck me as a polite, engaging individual who was totally focused on his career. The smiling demeanour that many have spoken of this week was very much present before and after, but during the interview he talked football with real seriousness and a steely determination in his eye. Still, his disappearance has hit me and thousands of football fans hard. This feels like a veritable bereavement because Sala was very much part of the Ligue 1 family. For people like me, whose lives revolve around the goings-on of France's top flight, Sala had become such a familiar, likeable figure. His goals, his celebrations, his misses, his relentless running were part of my weekends. I'd been following his progress from the moment he made his first tentative steps in the top flight with Bordeaux. Back then, if we're being honest, he looked pretty clumsy most of the time. Indeed Les Girondins ultimately ran out of patience with him. But even in those early days you could see there was something about him. At 6'3", Sala had a presence. He was a mobile forward and a powerful, willing runner. Above all, he had this determination that set him apart. He so desperately wanted to succeed and nothing was going to stop him. 01/25/2019 Ligue de Football Professionnel / Ligue1.com 5

6 Recently I travelled to Nantes to film a feature on Ciprian Tatarusanu. At the end of training, the Romanian decided he wanted to practise penalty-saving. This was great for us - our cameraman was going to get some superb close-up footage of the goalkeeper at work! As the rest of the squad returned to the warmth of the changing rooms, Sala stayed out to put Tatarusanu through his paces. This, by the way, didn't look like a chore. The Argentine seemed more than happy to have a bit of extra shooting practice. The problem was, out of the ten spot kicks he took, Tatarusanu didn't get near one of them. We went home without any close-up footage of saves, although - for the record - Sala converted his penalty in the Ligue 1 fixture the following weekend. Those extra sessions are almost certainly the reason why Sala's finishing came on leaps and bounds. His goal ratio was getting better and better; indeed the 28-year-old reached last term's tally of 12 league strikes before the halfway stage this time around. Nantes fans and their coach Vahid Halilhodzic were desperate for Sala to stay at least until this summer. He might easily have hit the 20-goal mark and fired the Canaries in to Europe. Halilhodzic knew just how important Sala was - both on the pitch and in the dressing room, where he was hugely popular - and did his utmost to convince club president Waldemar Kita not to sell. For his part, Sala wanted to stay and complete what surely would have been the best season of his career to date. He wanted to sign a new deal with Nantes, where he was happy and revered by the fans. Ultimately Kita the felt he had no choice but to accept Cardiff's offer of 17 million Euros. Witnessing the blossoming relationship between Halilhodzic and Sala this season has been fascinating. Both speak French with incredibly thick accents but they understand each other perfectly because they are clearly on the same wavelength. Both were legendary Nantes strikers in their pomp. Both got the Beaujoire rocking through their goals and both will be cherished in the hearts of the Nantes fans forever. This is a club that recognises class, and although Sala didn't score nearly as many goals as Halildodzic, the Nantes fans worshipped him for his qualities as a human and a footballer. Sadly, barring the miracle we are all still praying for, Emiliano Sala will not be returning to manage the club in the future. The fans will be left with the memories of a fantastic person and an honest, strong, wholehearted attacker who had an immensely positive impact on this famous old club. For the time being, however, just feelings of sadness, anger and incomprehension will remain. Balotelli: 'Something you don't forget' Italy international Mario Balotelli admitted to being impressed by the fans at the Orange Vélodrome when he officially signed for Olympique de Marseille from OGC Nice on Wednesday. For weeks now Mario Balotelli has been expected to sign for Olympique de Marseille, and on Wednesday the rumour became fact as the Italy striker put pen to paper on a season-long deal at the Orange Vélodrome. "I know that the OM fans are very proud and that there is passionate support for the team. They expect a lot from their players but, for me, that's completely fair and how it should be. I hope I can make the fans happy from my first game to my last," said the 28-year-old, who leaves OGC Nice after two and a half years at the Allianz Riviera. "In terms of character, I think I'm made the same way as the people of Marseille. I don't think there will be any problems. When I first played here with Nice, I saw that the fans got very worked up. All the player see it, it's something you don't forget. I always hoped to sign here one day." It has been seven weeks since Balotelli turned out for Nice, and the striker admitted that it might take some time before he is back to full match fitness. "To be in form and have 90 minutes in the tank, you have to train with the squad, I've been training the whole time individually, so I'll need a few days with the rest of the team to be on point. But I'm fine physically. I just need to get my rhythm back," he explained before giving hi thoughts on his new home. "This is a great club, I don't know the whole history but I do know players like Abedi Pelé and Fabien Barthez. OM won the UEFA Champions League. They're known the world over, even in Italy. I played with Adil Rami and I know other players from having talked to them a bit. I want to play and help the squad reach its goals. " 01/25/2019 Ligue de Football Professionnel / Ligue1.com 6

7 Since his arrival in Ligue 1 Conforama in the summer of 2016, Mario Balotelli has scored 33 times in 61 matches. He has bagged 43 goals in 76 in all competitions during his time in France. Monaco suspend Thierry Henry AS Monaco announced on Thursday that the club has opted to suspend Thierry Henry form his duties as head coach. Henry has been suspended from his duties as head coach of AS Monaco's senior team, the club announced in a statement: "The club has decided to suspend Thierry Henry as of today while awaiting a definitive decision." This is Monaco's second change of coach this season, following on from the 1998 World Cup winners' signing a deal through to 2021 when he replaced Leonardo Jardim on 13 October. Assistant coach Franck Passi, who arrived to bolster Henry's coaching staff on 20 December, will take over as interim boss. Since his return to the club whose youth academy he graduated from, Henry has won only four of 20 matches, including just two in Ligue 1 Conforama - away to Caen (1-0) and Amiens (2-0) - with seven defeats and two draws. Henry, who appeared in a press conference on Thursday afternoon, spoke out about his situation. "The rumours are not a problem," Henry declared, "You always have rumours in football. The most important thing is to save the club. My future is not a problem." AS Monaco travel to 19th-placed Dijon for their Ligue 1 Conforama clash - a relegation six-pointer - on Saturday at 20:00 CET. COUPE DE LA LIGUE BKT Strasbourg-Bordeaux semi-final rescheduled The Coupe de la Ligue BKT semi-final fixture between RC Strasbourg Alsace and Girondins de Bordeaux has been brought forward to an earlier time on Wednesday, 30 January. In the wake of the rescheduling of the Ligue 1 Conforama clash between FC Nantes and AS Saint-Etienne for 21:00 CET on Wednesday, 30 January, the Coupe de la Ligue BKT semi-final between RC Strasbourg Alsace and Girondins de Bordeaux has been brought forward to 18:45 CET on the same day. 01/25/2019 Ligue de Football Professionnel / Ligue1.com 7

8 COUPE DE FRANCE Henry: 'Don't know whether the players realise' Monaco boss Thierry Henry was left scratching his head after the 3-1 capitulation to FC Metz; Toulouse boss Alain Casanova was bemused after the wild win over Reims that saw his side reach the last 32. Tuesday, 22 January 2019 Coupe de France, round of 32 Stade Louis II, Monaco AS Monaco 1-3 FC Metz Thierry Henry (AS Monaco coach): "It's a huge disappointment. We created a lot of chances and crosses and missed a host of chances in the six-yard box. We need to be united, pull together and push forward with aggression. I don't know whether the players realise what is happening. We're in a critical situation and we have to try to save ourselves." Vincent Hognon (FC Metz assistant coach): "It's a huge achievement, even though Monaco are low on confidence right now. It was the top side in Ligue 2 versos the 19th in Ligue 1, and I underlined that for the players before the match. We had to be patient, but we ended up scoring three goals, even though things were tough at times. We never doubted ourselves." Le Stadium, Toulouse Toulouse FC 4-4 Stade de Reims - Toulouse won 4-3 on penalties Alain Casanova (Toulouse FC coach): "I haven't experienced many matches like that in my career [smiles]. I'm very proud that the team went after this qualification despite the fact that they equalised three times. Hopefully this was a win that unites the squad, as the lads showed a never-say-die attitude even though it's no fun to concede four goals at home. It was a real cup match and when it's you smiling at the end, it's a magnificent feeling. We all want to go as far as we can in the competition. David Guion (Stade de Reims coach): "We dominated the first half and going behind wasn't really deserved. But we levelled matters three times and that showed our strength of character. But when you're 4-3 up away from home in the Coupe de France with three minutes to go, you should be able to win it. It's tough to accept that we gave so much only to come away empty-handed." Stade Marcel-Picot, Nancy AS Nancy Lorraine 1-2 EA Guingamp Alain Perrin (AS Nancy Lorraine coach): "I'm satisfied overall with this performance against a top-flight side. We tried to resist the physical pressure from Guingamp and we never gave up. We even had chance to win it near the end as we showed more drive than Guingamp." Jocelyn Gourvennec (EA Guingamp coach): "Was I worried? No! I never doubted my team. They played a solid match and were very rigorous even though Nancy took the upper hand for periods in each half. I just wished my team would make the break earlier as we were never really safe. And we did get caught when they equalised. Luckily we got back on top in extra time." Stade Louis-Michel, Sète 01/25/2019 Ligue de Football Professionnel / Ligue1.com 8

9 FC Sète 0-1 LOSC Christophe Galtier (LOSC coach): "It was a tough match our opponents made it difficult with some quality football. Sète played the match they needed to and we never really responded to what they imposed on us. We were very fortunate to qualify. My players weren't complacent; it's just that my youngsters are new to this kind of match and a lot of them under-performed. We could have been eliminated." Nicolas Guibal (FC Sète coach): "It was a huge moment and I'm very proud of the match my lads played. Lille, with their amazing attack, only had two big chances, but they were so clinical! Still, we caused them to doubt themselves and that was great for the fans." Tuchel: 'Neymar was worried' Paris Saint-Germain boss Thomas Tuchel admitted there were concerns over Neymar's injury in the 2-0 win over Strasbourg to reach the last 16; ASSE boss Jean-Louis Gasset was horrified by his side's capitulation to Dijon. Wednesday, 23 January 2019 Coupe de France, round of 32 Parc des Princes, Paris Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 RC Strasbourg Alsace Thomas Tuchel (Paris Saint-Germain coach): "We started off extremely well. I liked our play and the rhythm we infused it with. The only black spot was taking a while to score our second goal. Putting a winning run together again is very important. I don't have much news on Neymar, as he is in the hospital. I think he was worried when he went off, as he had hurt his right foot, the one he injured last season and had surgery on." Thierry Laurey (RC Strasbourg Alsace coach): "The problem is that we started the match very poorly. Paris caught us off guard at the beginning and, to be honest, we had certain imbalances in certain positions. But I can't reproach my players; they had to adapt to the situation. We have a few regrets as the players made made the efforts required." AS Saint-Etienne 3-6 Dijon FCO Louis Gasset (AS Saint-Etienne coach): "You didn't see the real Saint-Etienne tonight. Against OM and OL, that was the real one. We haven't invested in the cups this season. Still, at the beginning of the second half, things turned surreal. We conceded three goals and went 5-1 down. It was shameful." Naïm Sliti (Dijon forward): "There are days like today. Not a lot of them, but they exist! It was an incredible night for us and we didn't hold anything back. It will give us a lot of confidence for the rest of the season to come." St Pryvé St Hilaire FC (D4) 0-2 Stade Rennais FC Julien Stéphan (Stade Rennais FC coach): "We played a serious match; we prepared well with a lot of respect for Saint-Pryvé, who proved tonight that they're an excellent team. Bravo to my players for the rigour and commitment. We're into the last 16 and there's a long way to go. But why not have a long run?" Baptiste Ridira (Saint-Pryvé-Saint-Hilaire coach): "Julien Stéphan and I have faced off three times now and we both knew what to expect from this match: two attack-minded sides who played some very good football. We played a great match and wrote a nice page in the club's history." Viry-Châtillon (D6) 0-6 SM Caen Fabien Mercadal (SM Caen coach): "We took this team seriously, as they had played really well against Angers. We knew we could do well if we attacked hard early. We'll need to bring that same intensity to get something from our match with Montpellier on Sunday." Walid Aïchour (Viry-Chatillon coach): "We weren't in it in the first half, and I told the lads at half-time that we may well lose but that we should give a good account of ourselves. At any rate, I'd be happy to cop six goals in the last 32 against a Ligue 1 Conforama side every year." 01/25/2019 Ligue de Football Professionnel / Ligue1.com 9

10 Pélissier: 'Survival mode' Amiens SC boss Christophe Pélissier admitted his side have a lot of improving to do before Sunday, when they will run back Thursday's 2-0 Coupe de France loss at home to Lyon in Ligue 1 Conforama's. Coupe de France, Round of 32 Stade de la Licorne, Amiens Amiens SC 0-2 Olympique Lyonnais Christophe Pélissier (Amiens SC coach): "We were punished hard for losing the ball on two occasions. That's the difference between a top-level team and us. We didn't have the quality to put this Lyon side in danger. But this experience should help us to grow because at this level, you pay dearly fo the slightest error. We'll need to learn our lessons and quickly get into survival mode for Sunday's match against Lyon." Bruno Genesio (Olympique Lyonnais coach): "We had the match under control; we weren't really worried. But it would have been nicer to control the match with 11 men and to have scored two more goals. The important thing in the cup is to qualify, so we're not turning our nose up at the result, even though we deserved a bit better. [On the clash with Guingamp in the last 16] Guingamp are a real cup side so it will surely be a very tough match." Guingamp-Lyon, Rennes-LOSC as PSG get Villefranche The Coupe de France's last 16 draw yielded two all-ligue 1 Conforama clashes while pitting four-time reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain against third-division Villefranche. The draw for the Coupe de France last 16 was held on Thursday, handing Olympique Loynnais winners in Amiens earlier the evening - a trip to Brittany to face 2009 and 2014 winners Guingamp while sending 2011 winners LOSC in the same direction to do battle with Rennes. Meanwhile PSG will head south to Villefranche-sur-Saône near Lyon for what should be a very special evening for the third-division club and its fans. SM Caen head to Corsica to test SC Bastia - a proud club playing in Ligue 1 Conforama as recently as before being dropped four divisions due to financial difficulties - while Dijon take on fourth-division Croix away. The winner of the postponed FC Nantes-Toulouse FC last 16 clash - now set for 16:30 on Sunday, 27 January, will travel to fourth-division Vitré. The full draw: EA Guingamp - Olympique Lyonnais Bastia (D5) - SM Caen Croix (D4) - Dijon FCO FC Metz (L2) - US Orléans (L2) Villefranche (D3) - Paris Saint-Germain Entente SSG (D3) or FC Nantes - Toulouse FC Vitré (D4) - Lyon Duchère (D3) Stade Rennais FC - LOSC 01/25/2019 Ligue de Football Professionnel / Ligue1.com 10