March 1, 2023, 5:19 PM
March 1, 2023, 5:19 PM
Nantes and Toulouse, both teams from the French Ligue 1, qualified this Wednesday for the semifinals of the French Cupaccompanying Lyon, who had qualified on Tuesday.
Nantes, current champion of the tournament, beat another team from the top flight of French football, Lens, 2-1in a La Beaujoire stadium without spectators in compliance with a sanction against the local club, due to the flares displayed by their fans at the Stade de France during the last Cup final, against Nice.
Both goals for Nantes by Antoine Kombouaré came from penalties, work of Andy Delort (31, 59), tracing the initial goal of the Ivorian Seko Fofana for the visitors (28).
Less problems to go to the prelude to the final had Toulouse, who thrashed Rodez 6-1 more concerned with maintaining the category in Ligue 2, in which it occupies the last position.
One of Toulouse’s goals was the work of Chilean Gabriel Suazowith a spectacular left-footed shot that made it 5-0 in the 38th minute of the first half.
It was a festival of goals in the form of a tribute to the legend Just Fontainethe man who with 13 goals holds the record for goals in the same edition of the World Cup, died this Wednesday, and who was Toulouse coach in 1978-1979.
After Laurent Blanc’s Lyon eliminated Grenoble (Ligue 2) on Tuesday, the fourth team in the semifinals will come out of this Wednesday’s clash between Olympique de Marseille, the executioner of Paris SG in the round of 16, and Annecy (20:00 GMT).
The semi-final draw will take place on Thursday.
– Results of the quarterfinals of the quarterfinals of the French Cup:
Tuesday
(+) Lyon (L1) – Grenoble (L2) 2 – 1
Wednesday
(+) Nantes (L1) – Lens (L1) 2 – 1
(+) Toulouse (L1) – Rodez (L2) 6 – 1
Note: the teams preceded by the symbol + are those qualified for the semifinals.