While Les Pitchouns were beaten by Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain at the weekend, Will Still's side earned a point which took them above their hosts in the table.

Match preview

Toulouse coach Philippe Montanier reacts on February 4, 2023 © Reuters

Remaining unbeaten in 2023 after a 4-1 triumph over Troyes to start February, Toulouse travelled to the capital for Saturday's meeting with PSG in buoyant mood.

Having ended last year on a down note, taking 13 out of a possible 15 points in Ligue 1 and seeing off Ajaccio in the Coupe de France represented a fine spell of form for Philippe Montanier's men before taking on the champions.

Those results came against teams near the bottom of the table, though, and stepping up in class almost inevitably saw their hot-streak ended, as Paris came from behind to overturn Branco van den Boomen's opening goal at Parc des Princes - Achraf Hakimi and Lionel Messi scoring either side of the break.

Set to tackle two more high-flyers, Marseille and Rennes, in the coming weeks, Toulouse first have a chance to bounce back by sealing progress in the cup - a competition the southern side have never before won in their history.

Before eliminating Ajaccio, Les Pitchouns started this season's Coupe de France journey with a 7-1 win over little Lannion, and they now aim to fare better at the last-16 stage than this time last year, when they were victims of Versailles on home soil.

Reims manager William Still pictured in October 2022 © Reuters

Reims will play hosts in the next encounter between these two mid-table clubs, with a Ligue 1 fixture scheduled for the end of this month, so they have two bites of the cherry in trying to make up for a 1-0 loss when they last met in September.

On that occasion, defeat left Les Rouges et Blancs with only six points from their first seven league games, and they seemed set for a season-long scrap for survival.

However, once Oscar Garcia was replaced by Will Still in the dugout, an initial unbeaten stretch of five matches earned the 30-year-old assistant his chance at the top job - and he has yet to look back.

Belgium-born Still oversaw a goalless stalemate at Auxerre last time out, but having previously held PSG to a draw in Paris and beaten Lorient 4-2, his team are now inside the top half of the table and have put together a remarkable 14-game streak without defeat. That marks Reims' best such run since the 1950s, when they were European Cup finalists and last lifted the Coupe de France.

Now, they seek a place in this year's quarter-finals, and after sweeping past Loon-Plage and Les Herbiers in the previous rounds, one of France's most in-form sides will not be easily stopped.

Toulouse Coupe de France form:

Toulouse form (all competitions):

Reims Coupe de France form:

Reims form (all competitions):

Team News

Stade de Reims' Yunis Abdelhamid celebrates after Folarin Balogun scores their first goal on January 29, 2023 © Reuters

Despite firing a rare blank at Auxerre last time out, Arsenal loanee Folarin Balogun had scored four times in his previous two games and should start up front for Reims on Wednesday.

Fellow forward Junya Ito is a doubt due to injury, though, while Noah Holm once again misses out.

Should Will Still opt for any squad rotation, both Arber Zeneli and Maxime Busi would fancy their chances of being brought into the lineup, in midfield and defence respectively.

Amid a tough run of league fixtures, Philippe Montanier may well make some changes to his Toulouse XI in midweek, with Veljko Birmancevic and Dutch striker Thijs Dallinga both hoping for promotion from the bench.

Zakaria Aboukhlal and talented rookie Fares Chaibi could join Dallinga in the visitors' front three, though Ado Onaiwu led Les Pitchouns' attack in Paris. Meanwhile, Denis Genreau and teenage defender Kevin Keben are both injury absentees.

Toulouse possible starting lineup:
Dupe; Desler, Rouault, Nicolaisen, Suazo; Dejaegere, Spierings, Van den Boomen; Aboukhlal, Dallinga, Chaibi

Reims possible starting lineup:
Diouf; Foket, Abdelhamid, Agbadou, De Smet; Cajuste, Matusiwa; Flips, Zeneli, Van Bergen; Balogun

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We say: Toulouse 1-2 Reims

While Toulouse have lost just two games at home this term, Reims have been beaten only twice on their travels. A close contest is in store, then, but the visitors have momentum on their side and can secure a place in the last eight.

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Top tip

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