Coupe de France: Montpellier crash out, PSG march on

Ligue 1 champions Montpellier have crashed out of the Coupe De France in extra time at the hands of Sochaux on Wednesday.

Rene Girard’s men have struggled in Ligue 1, sitting in 12th place, and their woes were compounded when substitute Yassine Mikari struck the winner in the 108th minute to give Sochaux a 3-2 victory.

Montpellier started well, going ahead twice with Mathieu Deplagne’s 51st-minute strike making the scoreline 2-1 after Sochaux’s Roy Contout had cancelled out Gaetan Charbonnier’s 16th minute opener just before half-time.

But Cedric Bakambu sent the travelling fans wild as his goal on 79 minutes forced extra-time and kept Sochaux in the tie.

Just after the first break in extra time, Tunisian defender Mikari clinched the winning goal as Sochaux forced their way into the last 16, giving them a shot at winning a trophy they last took in 2007.

Current Ligue 1 leaders PSG ensured a safe passage to the last 16 with a comfortable 3-1 win against Toulouse at the Parc des Princes.

With star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic suspended, Kevin Gameiro returned the starting line-up and took only eight minutes to turn Ezequiel Lavezzi’s fine ball into an empty net.

Only 10 minutes later, the away side was level as Franck Tabanou headed in a brilliant cross and the scores remained tied at the break.

PSG took the lead three minutes after the restart as Javier Pastore squeezed home an effort at the near post before the match was sealed on 66 minutes as Lavezzi scored the capital club’s third, dinking the ball over Toulouse keeper Olivier Blondel.

Bottom-of-the-table Ligue 1 club Nancy are still alive after beating fellow top-flight outfit Nice 4-3 on penalties away from home after a 2-2 draw at the end of extra time.

Nancy, who are eight points from safety in the domestic league, got over the fourth-placed Nice despite conceding a 96th-minute equaliser from Dario Cvitanich that forced the game to extra time.

Earlier, Alexy Bosetti had given Nice the lead before Nancy’s Cameroonian striker Paul Alo’o Efoulou scored twice in the 23rd and 57th minutes to give the away side the advantage.

In other matches, Bordeaux came from behind to beat fourth tier Moulins 2-1 with former Manchester United striker David Bellion hitting the winner on 59 minutes.

It took a penalty shootout for Ligue 1’s Saint-Etienne to overcome sixth-division Meaux despite the regional side being reduced to 10 men after 38 minutes.

Mid-table Ligue 1 side Brest came from behind with three goals in the last 32 minutes to knock off third-tier CA Bastia 3-1.

Lens had a comfortable road trip to Stade Bordelais, returning with a 3-0 win while fourth-tier side Raon-L’etape caused an upset defeating Ligue 2’s Istres with a single goal in the fifth minute.

Venissieux advanced on penalties after a 0-0 draw with Le Poire-sur-Vie.