Saint-Etienne keep hopes of Cup double alive

PARIS (AFP) –

Saint-Etienne’s Gabonese forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (R) celebrates with teammate French defender Kurt Zouma (L) after scoring a goal during the French Cup football match Saint-Etienne (ASSE) vs Lille (LOSC) on February 26, 2013 at the Geoffroy Guichard stadium in Saint-Etienne, southeasthern France. Saint-Etienne won 3-2 to reach the quarter-finals.

Saint-Etienne remain in contention to win both domestic Cups after beating Lille 3-2 on Tuesday to reach the quarter-finals of the French Cup.

Les Verts, who beat Lille on penalties in the semi-final of the League Cup last month, repeated the trick against the northern outfit at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, although they had to come from behind to do so.

Marko Basa headed in a free-kick from in-form Dimitri Payet to give Lille the lead, but a farcical Aurelien Chedjou own-goal, when a kick-out from goalkeeper Steeve Elana ricocheted off him into the net, restored parity.

A deflected effort from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang put Saint-Etienne in front, and Renaud Cohade set up Brandao for a cool finish for the hosts’ third goal, before Salomon Kalou pulled one back after a Payet shot had been pushed out by ‘keeper Stephane Ruffier.

Saint-Etienne have won the French Cup six times, but have not won a major trophy of any sort since 1981.

Elsewhere on Tuesday, Troyes won 2-1 away to Sochaux while Evian-Thonon-Gaillard beat second tier Le Havre 3-1.

The pick of the ties is Wednesday’s meeting between Paris Saint-Germain and bitter rivals Marseille, which comes three days after the clubs met in Ligue 1, with PSG winning 2-0.

PSG coach Carlo Ancelotti has admitted that David Beckham will start the game, after the veteran Englishman made his debut from the bench at the weekend.