OGC Nice’s career in the Coupe de France ended prematurely on Saturday. The Riviera club was picked cold by Le Puy, resident of National, in the 32nd finals (1-0), this Saturday, after conceding a goal at the start of the match, which he never knew how to answer. Lucien Favre had yet aligned his standard team, but they were apathetic throughout the match. At the same time, AS Monaco also lost to Rodez (2-2, 4-5 on pens), in an unlikely match, where the club from the principality was leading 2-0, but fell completely asleep .
From the start of the match, the people of Nice must have understood that their evening was going to be infinitely more complicated than expected. Taken by the throat by the Auvergnats, who were setting a big pace, they gave in from the 3rd minute: taking advantage of a ball cleared by Dante, Mohamed Ben Fredj, from the entrance to the surface, shook the nets of a superb shot from the left. From then on, the Aiglons ran behind the score, but struggled to really be dangerous until the hour mark. By posting the same difficulties as in the league, where they remain stuck in 11th place.
The post for Thuram
Better back in their second half, the men of Favre however pushed to the end. With a shot from the right at ground level, Khephren Thuram believed to put the heads of his teammates upright, but his shot crashed into the post (64th). The biggest chance of the match for the Gym, who then stumbled on an impeccable Jonathan Millieras, the Puy goalkeeper. Finalist of the previous edition, lost against Nantes (1-0), Nice therefore leaves the competition by the back door.
For Monaco, the observation is the same, but the scenario is much more cruel. The players of the Rock had, in fact, done the hardest from the start of their meeting against Rodez (Ligue 2). Thanks to a powerful strike with the left foot, the young Maghnes Akliouche had opened the scoring (1-0, 23rd), before his captain Wissam Ben Yedder succeeded him (2-0, 37th), by victoriously taking over a cross from Ismail Jacobs. But the Aveyronnais never gave up: a few minutes later, Joseph Mendes equalized with a header in the top corner (2-1, 42nd) and launched the revolt, while his team had been largely dominated until then. .
Golovin missed the win
Saved several times by Sébastien Cibois, his goalkeeper, Rodez finally found the fault at the end of the match, on a corner perfectly taken over by Aymen Abdennour (2-2, 80th), who sent everyone on penalties. During the session, Monaco took the lead, after Thomas Didillon was saved against Killian Corredor, but Alexandre Golovin sent the winning ball over, at 4-3, and the RAF ended up losing. win, thanks to a save from Cibois in front of Soungoutou Magassa then a final decisive achievement from Andy Pembélé.
Another penalty shootout, another feat, a few minutes later, for Thaon. The National 3 club, the fifth French level, played 10 against 11 for more than half an hour and managed to overthrow Amiens (Ligue 2), to continue its beautiful course (0-0, 4-2 tab ). The first surprise of these 32nd finals had taken place a few hours earlier, with the victory of Petit Poucet of the competition, Olympique Strasbourg (Regional 1), against Clermont (0-0, 4-3 tab). Defending champion, Nantes held its rank against Vire (National 3), winning easily (2-0).