PSG's perfect start to League Cup defence
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Article summary
Jérôme Rothen returned to haunt AS Monaco FC as Paris Saint-Germain FC began their defence of the French League Cup with a 1-0 win but there were shocks for AS Saint-Etienne, LOSC Lille Métropole and FC Lorient.
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Rothen makes winner
Half an hour into the third-round tie, Rothen – playing his second game at his former home since his summer return to Ligue 1 with PSG – crossed for Fabrice Pancrate to volley the visitors ahead. Monaco, who beat the capital side 1-0 in their opening league match, pushed hard for an equailiser but could not prevent PSG's progress to the last 16, a stage at which UEFA Champions League group stage automatic entrants Olympique Lyonnais and FC Girondins de Bordeaux come into the competition.
Shocks
However, France's other contenders in Europe's premier club competition, Olympique de Marseille, are out of the League Cup after a 1-0 loss at FC Sochaux-Montbéliard. Mevlut Erdinç turned in a Stéphane Dalmat free-kick to give Sochaux a first win this season. Three top-flight sides suffered defeat by lower-division opposition; UEFA Cup contenders AS Saint-Etienne lost 4-1 at Ligue 2 bottom side EA Guingamp, LOSC Lille Métropole fell 4-2 on penalties at Montpelier Hérault SC after a 2-2 draw and FC Lorient were beaten 3-0 at home by RC Lens.
Nancy relief
AS Nancy-Lorraine avoided an upset with a 3-2 extrta-time win at Grenoble Foot 38. In the other all-Ligue 1 ties, Le Havre AC beat SM Caen 3-1 and Stade Rennais FC ousted Le Mans UC 72 4-3 on penalties after their game finished 2-2. On Tuesday night FC Nantes Atlantique were shocked 1-0 by US Créteil and Valenciennes FC fell on penalties at Vannes OC but OGC Nice overcame US Boulogne-Côte d'Opale 3-1 and AJ Auxerre beat Toulouse FC on penalties after a 1-1 home draw. The next round is on 10/11 November with the final – carrying a UEFA Cup berth – on 25 April at Stade de France.