PSG sought qualification on penalties on the Lens field this Sunday, in the 32nd final of the Coupe de France. A fortune shared by certain Ligue 1 clubs, such as Marseille or Monaco. But what would other members of the elite, who fell against amateur clubs, have hoped for?
5 mins
Paris was hot in the North. Trailing, defending champion PSG had to wait for penalties (1-1, 4 tab to 3) to beat RC Lens on Sunday, and qualify for the round of 16 of the Coupe de France. Matvei Safonov, established in the Parisian goals in place of Gianluigi Donnarruma, injured in the face in the league and remaining in Paris, saved his team by diverting the attempts of Mbala Nzola and Andy Diouf. Unlike Hervé Koffi, the Lens goalkeeper, started in place of Brice Samba injured in the ankle, who was unable to stop any Parisian shot.
The capital club should a priori have a 16th less tough than its 32nd, on the lawn of Espaly, resident of National 3 and scorer of Dijon (N1) also on penalties on Friday. The French champions are ending 2024 on a positive note, but will spend the holidays without having completely dispelled the doubts which surrounded their first part of the season, between lack of efficiency and difficulties in creating very clear scoring opportunities.
This clash between Ligue 1 teams at the close of the 32nd finals of the Coupe de France nevertheless ignited with the two goals scored in quick succession. The first after a mix-up on a corner which benefited Lensois and Abdukodir Khusanov to open the scoring (66th). The second by Gonçalo Ramos, who had just come into play, who exploited a blunder by Kévin Danso (70th). After which the game got carried away between the Lensois counterattacks and the Parisian pressure, until the outcome of the penalties.
OM crushes Saint-Etienne, Montpellier humiliated
Marseille easily won at Saint-Etienne (4-0), Sunday in the 32nd final of the Coupe de France two weeks after OM had already outclassed the Greens in the championship (2-0). Marseille’s victory, the fourth in the last five outings (a draw against Lille), was made all the more easier by the fact that ASSE, which lost for the fourth time in a row in all competitions, found itself ten against eleven after the exclusion of Ibrahim Sissoko for a bad gesture on Leonardo Balerdi in the 21st minute.
In the process, Luis Henrique, with a deflection of his head, found Mason Greenwood who missed goalkeeper Brice Maubleu with a shot from the left (22nd) for his eleventh goal of the season (10 in Ligue 1). Numerically tied, the task was already very difficult with 74% possession for the Phocaeans in the first quarter of an hour. But led 1-0 with 70 minutes to play in inferiority, it quickly appeared insurmountable for the Stéphanois, 16th in the championship and play-offs, led from the sidelines by interim Laurent Huard, director of the training center, under the gaze of the new coach of the club, Eirik Horneland, installed in the presidential stand.
For its part, Le Puy Foot 43, 2nd in its group in National 2 (4th div.) eliminated Montpellier, bottom of Ligue 1 after winning 4-0 on Saturday at the Charles-Massot stadium in Puy-en- Velay (Haute-Loire) at the end of a match well controlled by the Ponots. A defeat which sounds like a humiliation for the Montpellier residents, as they were totally dominated by the Altiligerian team in the second half.
Last season, Le Puy reached the quarter-finals, eliminated by Rennes (3-1) at the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium in Saint-Etienne after taking out two Ligue 2 teams, Dunkerque and Laval. In 2022-2023, the Ponots beat Nice (1-0) in the 32nd final.
Mixed fortunes among Ligue 1 clubs
AJ Auxerre, 8th in Ligue 1, was eliminated by Dunkirk, resident of Ligue 2. The Northerners, unexpected third in Ligue 2 after struggling to maintain last season, continued their dream start to the year in s imposing 1 to 0 at the Abbé-Deschamps stadium. The Dunkirks took a decisive advantage in the first period thanks to the goal scored in the 26th minute by Enzo Bardeli. Le Havre also paid the price for a good performance from Saint-Brieux fans with a 1-0 defeat on Saturday.
Opposed to Union Saint-Jean, residents of Regional 1 (6th division), Monaco did not tremble either and logically won (4-1) at the Toulouse Stadium. And in a poster which had a flavor of Ligue 1, Bordeaux, which has been playing in National 2 (5th div) since this season, resisted Rennes for a time. But the Girondins, who opened the scoring in the 18th minute, sank after returning from the locker room to lose (4-1).
Reims and Angers held their place, respectively against Still Mutzig (R1) 3-1 and Bobigny (N2) 1-0, to reach the round of 16. Just like Brest against La Roche-sur-Yon (N2) (1-0), Lyon against Feignies-Aulnoye (N2) (2-1) and especially Nantes against Drancy (N3) (4-0) on Saturday. Finally, Toulouse and Nice, also opposed to amateur clubs, Haut Lyonnais (N.2) and Corte (N.3), escaped but needed penalties to reach the 16th finals.