Rennes (AFP)
Rennes, defending champion, had to wait for the shot on goal by its captain Da Silva, its 7th shooter, to get rid of Amiens (0-0 ap, 5-4 tab) in the 32nd finals of the Coupe de France on Saturday at Roazhon Park.
The Bretons' last penalty shootout date back to April at the Stade de France, when they snatched the victory at PSG (2-2 ap, 6-5 on tab) to bring their first title to Rennes since 1971.
If Amiens got the first opportunity in the 5th minute, with a strike from Cornette repulsed by the Rennes goalkeeper Mendy on the head of Guirassy who narrowly missed the frame, Rennes largely dominated the meeting, thanks to a lively pressing in particular by the young Camavinga.
But faced with the solid defensive block of Amiens, Rennes' attempts were repelled by goalkeeper Dreyer (Del Castillo 11th and 60th, Camavinga 22nd and 103rd, Bourigeaud 46th, Hunou 105th) or missed their target, with Bretons multiplying the inaccuracies in the second period.
In overtime, a goal from Niang was refused for offside (101st). The shots on goal then made the suspense last, each of the goalkeepers repelling a shot while Dibassy, Talal (Amiens) and Traoré (Rennes) missed the frame.
It was the third meeting between the two teams in less than two months, after Rennes' championship victory on November 10 (3-1) and the elimination of the Britons at the very last minute in Amiens in the round of 16 of the League Cup on December 18 (3-2).
In the league, the two teams are in an opposite dynamic: Rennes finished the year on the podium after a series of 6 victories and is preparing to receive Marseille with honors on Friday, while Amiens has not won since 2 November and peaks at 18th place.
As in other matches, the match was preceded by a minute of applause for Nathaël Julan, a neighbor's attacker and rival Guingamp who died Saturday at 23 in a road accident.
© 2020 AFP