The Stade de France plays host to an unfamiliar Coupe de France final on Saturday night, as Nice lock horns with Nantes for a shot at glory in the country's premier knockout tournament.

Les Aiglons are vying to be crowned Coupe de France champions for the fourth time in their history, while Les Canaris have also won the cup on three previous occasions.

Match preview

Already boasting winners' medals in the Coupe de la Ligue and Ligue 1, the prospect of a managerial treble is well and truly alive for Nice leader Christophe Galtier, whose side are bidding to become Coupe de France champions for the first time since 1997.

Also stepping up to collect the trophy in the 1952 and 1954 finals, Nice had suffered a spate of first, second and third-round exits before ploughing through to this season's final, and they have only lost in the showpiece event once before - with Michel Platini turning into his own net in a 1978 defeat to Nancy.

Nice memorably ended Paris Saint-Germain's reign as Coupe de France champions this season - making this the first final without the capital side since 2014 - while Cholet, Marseille and Versailles have also fallen to Les Aiglons' superiority this term.

Galtier's men have also reignited their European charge in Ligue 1 with back-to-back 1-0 victories over Troyes and Bordeaux in the past couple of weeks, and while their fifth-placed standing in the top flight would only be good enough for a place in the Europa Conference League, the Europa League beckons if they can prevail at the Stade de France.

Always renowned for their defensive nous under Galtier, whose side have conceded a league-low 29 goals all season, Nice have also shipped just one goal in this season's Coupe de France and must harness all of their rearguard resilience to keep out a Nantes side daring to dream just as much as they are.

Already a Coupe de France champion with PSG in 2009-10, Antoine Kombouare has overseen a remarkable period of progress with this Nantes side this season, as Les Canaris were preparing for the relegation/promotion playoff in Ligue 1 this time last year.

Most recently lifting the Coupe de France crown twice in a row in the 1999 and 2000 finals, Nantes also head into the contest aiming to pick up their fourth trophy after winning their first in 1979, but they have had to do it the hard way to book their spots in the showpiece event.

As well as marching to 2-0 wins over Brest, Vitre and Bastia, Nantes needed penalties to scrape past Sochaux early on after a goalless draw, while their semi-final encounter with Monaco was also decided from 12 yards following an action-packed 2-2 stalemate.

Les Canaris found themselves 2-0 up against the 10 men of Lens last weekend but ultimately led the lead slip to draw 2-2 with Les Sang et Or and leave their top-half hopes in jeopardy, and a record of two wins from their last eight will not do wonders for their confidence ahead of the final.

Nice and Nantes have not locked horns in the Coupe de France since Les Aiglons prevailed 2-0 in the first round of the 2013-14 edition, and Les Canaris have lost each of their last four against their upcoming final opponents, but as the old saying goes, form goes out of the window with a prestigious piece of silverware at stake.

Team News

Nice enter Saturday's final with almost all of their big-hitters available, but Youcef Atal and Alexis Claude-Maurice are long-term absentees with their collarbone and ankle injuries and will miss out here.

Morgan Schneiderlin is still dealing with a calf problem, but Galtier was optimistic about his availability for the final at a press conference last week, with the Frenchman potentially taking his spot on the bench alongside Mario Lemina.

Galtier has three strikers fighting for the two coveted spots in the attack at the Stade de France, but Amine Gouiri and Andy Delort may ultimately get the nod to consign Kasper Dolberg to the bench.

As for Nantes, Kombouare will welcome Fabio, Ludovic Blas and Andrei Girotto back to the team for the final following their recent domestic suspensions, and the latter two should return to the first XI with open arms.

Jean-Charles Castelletto and Charles Traore should be Les Canaris' only two absentees for the final, with the former still struggling with a bout of illness while Traore recovers from an ACL injury.

Blas and Girotto's returns spells danger for Abdoulaye Sylla and Wylan Cyprien's spots in the side, while Alban Lafont is confirmed to be starting in goal.

Nice possible starting lineup:
Benitez; Lotomba, Todibo, Dante, Bard; Boudaoui, Thuram, Rosario, Kluivert; Gouiri, Delort

Nantes possible starting lineup:
Lafont; Appiah, Pallois, Girotto; Coco, Moutoussamy, Chirivella, Merlin; Blas; Simon, Kolo Muani

We say: Nice 2-0 Nantes

While their run to the final and fight for a top-half finish in Ligue 1 demonstrates quite the uptick for Nantes, trying to get one over a Galtier-marshalled side is likely a step too far.

Nice have not been without their own problems in the last few weeks but have rediscovered their solidarity at a vital time, and we can only picture Les Aiglons lifting the trophy aloft at the Stade de France.

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