Paris Saint-Germain were knocked out of the Coupe de France and AS Monaco striker Radamel Falcao suffered what could be a serious knee injury on a bad night for the top sides on Wednesday.
Champions and Ligue 1 leaders PSG slumped to a 2-1 home defeat by Montpellier Herault, for whom Victor Hugo Montano scored the winner with a powerful 69th-minute header after Edinson Cavani had canceled out Daniel Congre’s opener in the first half of their round-of-32 match.
PSG, who suffered their third loss in all competitions this season and their first home defeat since November 2012, were denied a late penalty when referee Olivier Thual waved play on after Cavani had been brought down by Jamel Saihi.
Photo: AFP
PSG coach Laurent Blanc, who started with top striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic on the bench, sent on the Swede in the 66th minute, but there was nothing the former Barcelona and AC Milan forward could do to change the result.
“It’s a big achievement, it’s extraordinary, it helps us forget a little bit about our bad start to the season,” Montpellier president Louis Nicollin told Eurosport.
Montpellier, the 2011-2012 champions, are 16th in Ligue 1.
Monaco, who are second in the standings, reached the round-of-16 with a 3-0 win at amateurs Monts d’Or Azergues Foot, but they were left to sweat on Falcao’s fitness.
The Colombia striker opened the scoring in the 29th minute, but was carried off the pitch on a stretcher shortly before the break after being tackled by defender Soner Ertek.
“We lose Radamel Falcao. It’s a big blow. I think it is serious. The news is not reassuring,” Monaco captain Jeremy Toulalan told Eurosport.
Monaco said in a statement that Falcao had sustained a knock to his left knee and they were awaiting further checks to assess the injury.
Striker Emmanuel Riviere netted the two other goals in a one-sided encounter at Olympique Lyonnais’ Stade de Gerland as the fourth-tier team from Chasselay, with former Monaco and France winger Ludovic Giuly in their ranks, failed to pose a threat.
Ligue 1 teams Girondins de Bordeaux and Toulouse fell victim of la magie de la Coupe when they were knocked out by FB Ile Rousse and AS Moulins respectively.
Ile Rousse, who play in the fifth tier, won on penalties after a goalless draw and fourth-tier Moulins prevailed thanks to a Sebastien da Silva brace.
In Wednesday’s other tie, Olympique Lyonnais won 3-1 away at fourth-tier AS Yzeure.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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