Coupe de France final at the Stade de France will feature runners-up Lens and Nice, which finished 16th in Ligue 1 and is now forced to fight for survival in the playoffs. The difference in skill between the teams is colossal: Lens has 70 points in the league and has looked confident in recent matches, having crushed Lyon 4-0 with a reserve team, while Nice has gone four games without a win. Furthermore, Nice head coach Claude Puel publicly stated that "it would be a mistake for Lens not to win" this final, effectively acknowledging their opponent's complete superiority.
The situation is exacerbated by personnel losses and Nice's divided focus. The Eagles are without key defenders Everton, Bombito, and Abdelmonem, and their defense is the second-worst in Ligue 1, with 60 goals conceded. Four days after the final, Nice faces a crucial relegation playoff against Saint-Étienne. According to L'Équipe, Puel is considering fielding a semi-reserve squad for the final to preserve his leading players for the more crucial relegation battle. Lens, meanwhile, has all its key players available, and the team is aiming for its first French Cup title and is determined to lift the trophy.
Lens' head-to-head record this season is also on their side: they beat Nice 2-0 at home and drew 1-1 away. Given the huge difference in motivation, form, opponents' losses and the fact that Lens have won 22 matches this season compared to just 9 for Nice in the league, the outcome looks obvious.
