Lille Advances in Coupe de France Despite Lackluster Performance
In the opening night of the Coupe de France's 32nd finals, Lille OSC, the only Ligue 1 club in action, secured a narrow 1-0 victory against FC Rouen, a team from the National division. The match took place in the historic Robert-Diochon stadium, where Lille's Brazilian defender Ismaily scored the only goal of the match in the 21st minute, assisted by captain Jonathan David. Despite a strong first half, Lille struggled to maintain their momentum in the second half, with players expressing concern over their performance. Thomas Meunier remarked, "The first half was good but the second was catastrophic; we scared ourselves. We can't show that face, it's unfortunate to put ourselves in this situation. We will just remember the qualification." This victory marks Lille's 17th match without defeat across all competitions, surpassing a record that had stood since the 1973-1974 season.
Surprising Upsets in the Coupe de France
The evening also featured notable surprises from lower-tier teams. Espaly-Saint-Marcel, a small club from National 3, eliminated Dijon (National) in a tense penalty shootout, winning 4-3 after a 1-1 draw. Another standout performance came from Haguenau, who crushed Boulogne-sur-Mer 4-1, despite being reduced to ten players early in the match. In other results, SC Bastia triumphed over the Martinican team RC Saint-Joseph with a decisive 5-0 victory, while Troyes defeated Metz 3-0 in a Ligue 2 clash. Laval also faced a scare but managed to qualify against Mérignac after a penalty shootout, winning 4-3 following a goalless draw. The results reflect the unpredictable nature of the Coupe de France, where lower-league teams often challenge higher-tier opponents.
