AJ Auxerre and AC Ajaccio were the top-flight fall guys in the French Cup when they were knocked out by lower division teams on Saturday, while holders LOSL Lille Metropole and Girondins de Bordeaux narrowly avoided joining their Ligue 1 counterparts on the scrapheap.
Auxerre were humbled 2-1 at home by second-tier Chateauroux, who triumphed thanks to a two-minute double from Maxime Bourgeois just after the half-hour mark.
Fourth-division Bourg-Peronnas beat Ligue 1 bottom side Ajaccio 3-2 after extra-time.
Photo: AFP
Lille were given a scare against fourth-tier Compiegne, before Bruno Gianni’s goal after 114 minutes sealed a 1-0 extra-time win.
Last season’s double winners labored against their neighbors and Compiegne almost pulled off a shock, but Hubert Aulon’s second-half drive grazed the bar.
Lille put out an almost full-strength side, but they struggled on a tough pitch in heavy rain in Beauvais, where Compiegne opted to play the home tie.
“What counts in the Cup is going through. To go far in the Cup you sometimes have to get through via the back door,” Lille coach Rudi Garcia said.
Bordeaux needed a 4-3 penalty shootout win to overcome third-division Creteil-Lusitanos after a 2-2 away draw.
Dijon FCO beat Ligue 2 Istres 2-1, Evian Thonon Gaillard eased to a 2-0 win at fourth-tier AS Valence and Stade Rennais won the Ligue 1 battle with OGC Nice 5-4 on penalties after a goalless draw.
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