Sochaux (France) (AFP)

Rennes is still in the race to achieve the double! The Breton team, defending champion, did not fall into the trap and qualified without trembling for the semi-finals of the Coupe de France by beating (3-0) the fans of Belfort (N2), Tuesday in Sochaux.

Petit Poucet (4th division) against outgoing winner, the poster was beautiful in an Auguste-Bonal stadium packed and boiling. But the Belfortains, who fell from Nancy (L2, 3-1) in the 16th finals then from Montpellier (L1) on penalties in the 8th, failed to achieve a new feat.

It was the Brazilian Raphinha who guided his team to the last four (24th), before M'Baye Niang (71st sp) and Jordan Siebatcheu (90th + 1) made the addition.

Stade Rennes, third in Ligue 1 and struggling to win a ticket to the prestigious Champions League, therefore sees its calendar getting heavier, but for a good cause!

The Coupe de France has decidedly succeeded at the Breton club since the turn of the century since it will play its seventh semi-final since early March 2003. It has so far reached the final once in two, in 2009, 2014 and 2019, when he won his third title in the competition against Paris SG, his first trophy in 48 years.

Despite the three divisions apart, the first strike of the match was in favor of Belfort, but the overwhelmed attempt by Lucas Cuenin did not worry Edouard Mendy (6th).

Well in place, Rennes did not panic and gradually took over the Francs-Comtois. Thus, on its first acceleration, the Breton formation passed on the verge of the opening of the score: the captain of an evening Hamari Traore delivered a center back for Romain Del Castillo, whose flat foot came to die post base (19th).

The second opportunity was good for the Rennes: on the left side, Del Castillo distilled a long center at the penalty spot for Raphinha, who took a swing (0-1, 24th).

The Brazilian then shot just over (33), then Niang failed to control the ball in the area (45 + 1).

Dominated, the amateurs did not give up however, like a shot not supported enough by Mamadou Magassouba (29th) or two free kicks by Isaak Umbdenstock (36th) and Ludovic Saline (45th).

- Untenable Raphinha -

After half-time, the same scenario was repeated between Belfortains who skilfully played their luck and a team of Rennes little worried.

Raphinha, untenable, almost killed the suspense as soon as he returned from the locker room, but his shot crashed on the crossbar (53 ').

Belfort replied with a free kick from Maxime Loichot kicked off by Mendy (60th) then a header from Thomas Régnier just above (63rd).

Meanwhile, Adrien Hunou had lost a face-to-face with Eddy Ehlinger, who diverted in extremis his corner kick to keep the amateurs in the game (61st).

The goalkeeper from Franche-Comté has again extended the deadline masterfully in front of Niang (69th) but finally gave in on a penalty kick drawn by the former AC Milan striker (0-2, 71st) and a shot from close range from Siebatcheu in additional time (3-0, 90th + 1).

© 2020 AFP