This Saturday in the round of 16 of the Coupe de France, six matches were played. The Girondins de Bordeaux, residents of Ligue 2, were beaten by Nice (2-3). In other matches, Monaco, thanks to a hat-trick from Ben Yedder, won against Rodez (1-3) while Nantes, finalist of the last Coupe de France, was surprised by Laval (Ligue 2) at home ( 0-1). Note that the Canaries paid tribute to Emiliano Sala, who died tragically five years ago. Le Puy beat Dunkerque (2-1), Valenciennes beat Paris FC (2-1) and Brest defeated Trélissac (1-2).
A hat-trick from Wissam Ben Yedder offered Monaco on Saturday in the round of 16 of the Coupe de France a revenge against Rodez (3-1), a Ligue 2 club, which took it out of the competition last year. Curiosity of the draws, the Ruthenois have not had the chance to host a Cup match since 2016 in their small Paul-Lignon stadium, whose work on a side stand is still reducing its capacity (3,263 spectators).
Their series of 25 consecutive trips did not prevent them from eliminating the Monegasques a little over a year ago at Louis-II in the 32nd final (2-2, 5-4 tab) and Ben Yedder did not. had obviously not forgotten. The French international striker avoided any unpleasant surprises for his team by scoring a hat-trick which confirms its good winter momentum, with seven goals in four matches in all competitions.
The first of the evening came from an indisputable penalty (0-1, 10th) after his teammate Folarin Balogun was brought down in the area by opposing goalkeeper Sébastien Cibois. Ben Yedder only had to extend the ball into the empty goal for the second (1-2, 50th) before victoriously taking a good cross from Kassoum Ouattara at the far post (1-3, 58th). He had then just killed the suspense that the RAF (Rodez Aveyron Football) had revived thanks to Stone Mambo’s equalizer, with a header, on a free kick from Antoine Valerio (1-1, 21st).
Aveyron coach Didier Santini assured during the week that the most important match for his team, 7th in L2, was the one to come at Guingamp on Tuesday and that was not necessarily obvious in terms of commitment. In difficulty on every set piece or almost, ASM will have doubted a half, in the wake of its defeat at home against Reims (3-1) last week in the championship, which caused it to fall from the podium .
Faced with a Nantes too clumsy in front of goal, Laval achieved the perfect blow by delivering the blow on the hour mark (1-0) and qualifying for the round of 16 of the Coupe de France, Saturday at the Stade from La Beaujoire. Fourth and above all the best defense in Ligue 2, the Tango are pushing the Canaries a little further, who have lost five of their last six meetings.
As often, they were not unworthy but let the opportunities slip away and gave in to a long blind cross from Thibaut Vargas on which Alban Lafont was a few centimeters too short, leaving Malik Tchokounté to take over in the empty goal (0-1, 60th ). Three minutes earlier, referee Rudy Buquet had refused to whistle a penalty for the locals while Matthis Abline seemed to have been caught by goalkeeper Maxime Hautbois, whom he had just dribbled past (57th). But the FCN can only blame itself.
Whether on a return from Tino Kadewere above (20th), an uncontrolled strike from Abline (23rd), a shot that flew away from Florent Mollet at the entrance to the area (48th), or two attempts from Moussa Sissoko off target in a few seconds (51st, 52nd), Nantes should never have been 0-0 at the time of the decisive goal. The same clumsiness permeated the efforts of the Yellows to come back before Hautbois, with two reflex parades in front of Eray Cömert in the 90th, shattered their last hopes of saving a season that had started to be very laborious.
Nice, striking for an hour, punched its ticket to the round of 16 of the Coupe de France by finally winning in pain on Saturday in Bordeaux (3-2) which showed great resources for the rest of its season. The gap of a division between these two historic French football players, actors of one of the most beautiful finals of the event in 1952 (5-3 for the Aiglons), was clearly perceptible between a Gym, runner-up to Paris SG in L1, and the Girondins, who are fighting this season in L2 to avoid experiencing a second descent in three years.
For an hour, Francesco Farioli’s men perfectly mastered this electric move before kick-off following scuffles between supporters, just to warm up given the cool surroundings. But the last half hour, exclusively Bordeaux, reminded us that the Niçois are performing a little less well lately and that Albert Riera’s men are surely better than their current 15th place, with two crucial receptions to come against Valenciennes and Angers .
The visitors’ lack of realism, or at least their ability to make the local goalkeeper Johnsson (13, 14) shine when it was not the bar which saved the Swede on a first strike from Guessand (17), delayed the evidence. Guessand made up for it by opening the score (35th) following a second ball after a returned free kick and a start of confusion, by going about it in two stages. This bonus match for one, just a step for the other in a season which could turn out to be very good if its solidity remains, could have been folded at the restart when Mr. Leonard gave a quite generous penalty to Cho for a Nsimba stroller. Sanson doubled the lead (47) and, given the control of his team, with another post found by Cho (54), we seemed to be going for a single rider.
Except that these Girondins did not give up despite their recurring difficulties in finding themselves in the opposing third. And on a rare overflow from Elis followed by a cross, Livolant adjusted the resumption of hope (59th), showered the following minute by an angry rise from Lotomba, concluded with a lucky counterattack by Sanson (1 -3.60). The fresh blood injected on both sides then smiled on the more determined Aquitains and the supposed difference in level was erased for a hand-style defense attack.
In this little game, Bordeaux found an opening through Weissbeck with a shot from 20 meters lodging in the window of the Riviera goalkeeper (76th) to the delight of the 22,000 spectators, reassured shortly after by a save from Johnsson in front of Guessand. Except that this new reduction in the score had no echo in the last quarter of an hour where the wall articulated around Dante was perfectly able to manage the Girondins’ desires, which were a little exhausted in a muddled game with a little too many approximations.