Coupe de France: Avranches stun Brest as Angers survive scare

he magic of the Coupe de France was on full display on Friday evening as the round of 32 got underway. National 2 outfit Avranches produced the shock of the night by knocking out Ligue 1 side Brest, while Angers were pushed to the limit by Les Herbiers, also from the fourth tier. Elsewhere, Lens progressed without major difficulty, and Montpellier, Reims and Laval all booked their places in the next round.

Avranches pull off a historic upset

Avranches wrote one of the biggest chapters in their history by eliminating Brest after a dramatic penalty shoot-out. The Ligue 1 side were held to a 1-1 draw over 90 minutes before the National 2 club held their nerve to win 5-4 on penalties, sparking wild celebrations at the Stade René Fenouillère.

Angers edge past heroic Les Herbiers

Angers came within inches of elimination on the pitch of Les Herbiers, finalists in 2018. Reduced to ten men after the dismissal of Benjamin Brelivet shortly after the hour mark, the National 2 side showed remarkable resilience to hold the Ligue 1 outfit to a goalless draw.

The tie was decided on penalties, where Angers eventually prevailed 6-5, despite an outstanding performance from Les Herbiers goalkeeper Bastien Rempp, who saved two spot-kicks. Missed penalties from the hosts ultimately proved costly.

Lens avoid the trap

There was no surprise at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis, where Lens comfortably defeated Feignies-Aulnoye (3-1). Goals from Fofana and Abdulhamid before the break put the Ligue 1 leaders in control, before Bulatovic added a third from a direct free-kick in the second half. Nolan Bonté scored a late consolation for the visitors.

Montpellier made to work, Reims cruise

Montpellier were forced to wait until the final quarter-hour to overcome Canet-en-Roussillon (1-0), with Téji Savanier leading a decisive counter-attack finished by Alexandre Mendy.

Reims, meanwhile, had little trouble against Croix, running out 4-0 winners thanks to first-half goals from Sekine, Bassette, Bojang and a superb free-kick from Teuma.

Late drama in Ligue 2 duel

In an all-Ligue 2 encounter, Laval snatched qualification at Guingamp thanks to a last-gasp winner from Malick Seloukki, sealing a 1-0 victory despite being largely dominated.

Le Mans also progressed, but only after a hard-fought 2-1 win at Périgny, with Robin scoring the decisive goal late in the match.