Auxerre reached the French League Cup semi-finals on Tuesday after two penalties saw them to a 2-0 victory over Saint-Etienne and edged them closer to securing their first trophy since the French Cup in 2005.
Benoit Pedretti and Polish international Dariusz Dudka successfully converted their respective penalties in the 15th and 48th minutes to give the hosts a spot in the last four to extend their recent unbeaten run, after a poor start to the season, to six in all competitions, including a fine Champions League win over Ajax last week.
In contrast, Saint-Etienne were going down to their third successive defeat and have won only once since beating Olympique Lyonnais on Sept. 25 and that was against Girondins de Bordeaux in the League Cup in the last 16.
Photo: AFP
Auxerre coach Jean Fernandez said that the luck the side had been missing earlier in the season was now going their way.
“We are in a good way at the moment,” Fernandez said. “The penalties we would probably have not got two months ago. The motivation shown by the players compensates for the fatigue they are feeling.”
“Hosting a semi-final would be really nice,” added Fernandez, whose side have never won the League Cup trophy.
Photo: AFP
His Saint-Etienne counterpart, Christophe Galtier, said that there was not much to be put right in the side.
“We have to refocus on the championship,” Galtier said. “We have to straighten the rifle’s sights, but not to panic. We have to stay calm. There is of course the disappointment at being eliminated, but there is no illness to remedy. We just have to keep on pushing and this moment will pass. We have 18 points in the championship [just three points off leaders Stade Brestois 29] and we were in the League Cup quarter-finals. We are in the middle of a difficult period, but we have to keep a stiff upper lip.”
Pedretti — who looked set for a long international career after winning more than 20 caps for France up to 2006, but who has not featured since — tucked away his penalty after Sylvain Marchal was adjudged to have handled Roy Contout’s cross, while Dudka converted his when Contout was upended by Josuah Guilavogui.
The other three quarter-finals feature Paris Saint-Germain away at their coach Antoine Kombouare’s former club Valenciennes. Marseille, who are the League Cup holders, host Monaco, while Montpellier are at home to Lille.
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