Asvel-Strasbourg and Monaco-Le Mans in the semi-finals of the Coupe de France

We will have to wait for the final to see a possible clash between Asvel and Monaco in the Coupe de France. A few minutes after Villeurbanne’s victory over Cholet in the quarter-finals (85-79), Saturday evening in Trélazé, the draw for the semi-finals, scheduled for Sunday at the Arena Loire, was made. The reigning French champions will challenge Strasbourg, qualified after his victory over Bourg-en-Bresse (88-71), at 5 p.m. Earlier, Le Mans will face the Monegasque armada at 2:30 p.m.

Victorious in the 2019 and 2021 French Cups before their failure in the quarter-finals last year (defeat against Gravelines, 78-79), Asvel won their two duels in the Championship against Strasbourg. But the second game, at the Astroballe on March 5, was suffocating (78-72) and sealed by a Youssoupha Fall counter on Marcus Keene 12 seconds from the end.

Monaco will challenge Le Mans

Having emerged from the quarter-finals of the Leaders Cup, Monaco is not did not fall into the trap of Pau-Orthez (98-78), despite the absence of Mike James, suspended on Tuesday and still dismissed for this Coupe de France weekend. Almost qualified in the play-offs of the Euroleague, the players of the Rock have been chasing a national title since their success in the Leaders Cup five years ago.

They will face Le Mans, solid against Dijon (89-77), for a place in the final of the Coupe de France. Sasa Obradovic’s players won their only duel against MSB this season, at the end of November in the Championship (90-81) at Antarès. All without the help of Mike James, preserved that evening (6 minutes of play).

But the Le Mans workforce has changed a lot since then: the Sarthois club recruited three players (Rochestie, McGriff and Kuol) before the end of the market on February 28, to fully play their luck in the Coupe de France and in the Championship.