French champions Bordeaux will play fellow Ligue 1 side Lorient in the League Cup semi-finals in what is a rematch of the 2002 final after beating Ligue 2 strugglers Sedan 1-0 on Tuesday.
A 50th-minute goal by Yoan Gouffran — who was one of 11 changes to the starting line-up made by coach Laurent Blanc following the league leader’s 0-0 draw with Boulogne-sur-Mer on Saturday — was enough to see off the Wild Boars, who had ousted Bordeaux at the same stage on penalties in 2008.
There was to be no repeat of those heroics this time, especially after the visitors were reduced to 10 men in the 61st minute when Sedan’s Australian defender Ante Rozic was sent off for a second bookable offense, just two minutes after his first offense.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Gouffran ensured that Bordeaux stayed in the running for four trophies this season — the three domestic pieces of silverware and the Champions League — when he pounced inside the penalty area after Sedan’s defense had failed to clear the ball and shot past goalkeeper Benoit Costil.
Costil had seen action early on in the encounter as first he was saved by the crossbar after a fierce shot by Gregory Sertic in the ninth minute and then the midfielder forced the Sedan keeper into a good save from a free-kick in the 41st minute.
Sedan had their moments, twice going close in the first half, through a 36th-minute header by Jerome Lemoigne and a minute later a shot by midfield partner Damien Tiberi, but the hosts keeper Cedric Carrasso saved on both occasions.
Bordeaux, though, finished the strongest and could have added to their lead on no less than three occasions in the last 10 minutes, but Costil saved all of them, first from Gouffran and then twice in the 84th minute from David Bellion and Brazilian Jussie.
Blanc, who along with fellow 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 winning teammate Didier Deschamps is among the favorites to succeed France coach Raymond Domenech after the World Cup finals, was pleased to have progressed, though he saw a downside as well.
“We won. We have qualified for the next round, the semi-finals. We did our job, as we say,” the 44-year-old said. “Last year, people said that Bordeaux didn’t care about the domestic cups [though they did win the League Cup]. This year, they can’t say that. Of course there is a price to pay for success and that is a heavier fixture schedule, which will be the case this month.”
Bordeaux will travel to Lorient — who beat Lyon last week in their quarter-final — on Feb. 17.
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