Les Herbiers vs PSG
This year’s Coupe de France is an absolute belter, the like we’ve never seen before and are unlikely to see again.
It’s a classic ‘Giant versus Underdog’ clash as PSG aim for a fourth consecutive Cup triumph and another domestic double when they meet third-tier Les Herbiers in the Coupe de France final on Tuesday night in Paris. The Stade de France is about to witness a David-versus-Goliath act of epic proportions, as the small town from the Loire takes on the richest club in French football history.
The handicap betting options are endless!
The football bet that is the most ideal to make here is towards PSG, given that they have lifted the Cup a record 11 times. It’s not hard to imagine the billionaires to make it the big twelve. But football throws up the weirdest of outcomes sometimes, and that’s why we love it.
How big would a shock it be if Stephane Masala’s heroes managed to pull off the biggest giant killing of the year? Well, let’s put it into a little context. Les Herbiers is a small town with a population of 16,000 compared to Paris’ well over 2,000,000. But that’s not the half of it. When it comes to cash, the difference is eye-watering.
Masala juggles his team, which cost virtually nothing, using his share of an annual budget of £1.7m for the club. Of PSG’s £470m kitty, the wage of Neymar alone would dwarf Les Herbier’s entire budget in a matter of weeks.
The best football bets are when you can see value in the odds, but where do we start with Les Herbiers? They are in a relegation scrap in the third tier, having won only nine of 31 games. But in the cup, the Pays de Loire team has come alive, beating Lens in the quarter-finals and third division Chambly in the semis. And this spectacular cup run has captured the imagination of the locals, such that the semi-final game was switched from Les Herbier’s 5,000-capacity ground to Ligue 1 Nantes’ Stadium, where over 30,000 fans cheered them to the historic victory.
That 2-0 win, courtesy of goals from Florian David and Ambroise Gboho, has made it the best season in Les Herbier’s 99-year history by far, and matches like the Cup Final don’t come up often. Indeed, their best performance in the competition, to date, was a run in 2000 which took them to the last 16. Local businesses, which include boat builders and one of the world’s best foie gras producers, have long been held in higher esteem.
But not anymore.
Les Herbiers fans will swarm to Paris for the final on May 8th, which could mean a day off for the morning bread bakers as the town empties! Alongside David and Gboho, the underdogs have the wing trickery and goals of Kevin Rocheteau and the inspirational leadership of skipper Sebastien Flochon in their armoury.
Have the minnows got one more miracle in them? In the aftermath of the semi-final win, Masala said: “I’m exhausted! The build-up to this game was long, I’ve barely slept, I haven’t eaten, but that’s my job!” But his team has something left in the tank. They warmed up for the big match with a 3-2 home win against Laval.
Les Herbiers won’t need an introduction to their opponents: PSG have dominated Ligue 1 for years and already have the league well and truly wrapped up. With a galactico of stars which includes league-leading scorer Edinson Cavani and the brilliant Kylian M’Bappe, they have the weaponry to destroy teams at will.
The supply for Unai Emery’s attack comes from Angel Di Maria, Adrien Rabiot and Julian Draxler. Just looking at these names will send a shiver of excitement down the spines of Les Herbiers. Mbappe hit a brace when PSG made the final with a 1-3 win in Caen on the Normandy coast.
Hey! The favourites are beatable, but they have lost only twice on their march to the league title, and Masala has his work cut out to find a way of doing the seemingly impossible. He’ll be studying PSG’s exit from the Champions League, no doubt.
How he could do with a Cristiano Ronaldo or even a Sergio Ramos to keep PSG’s stars at bay. But one thing’s for sure: the little town of Les Herbiers will have a night they will never, ever forget.
Football sports betting has rarely had a night like this, so let’s enjoy it. As pundits, we always try to show how impartial we are but… ALLEZ LES HERBIERS! There…I’ve said it.
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