Giantkillers strike again in French Cup

PARIS (AFP) –

Epinal’s Romain Chouleur (R) clashes with Nantes’ Birama Toure during their French Cup football match at La Colombiere Stadium, on January 22, 2013 in Epinal, eastern France. Third-tier minnows Epinal claimed another major scalp in this season’s French Cup after eliminating eight-time national champions Nantes in a penalty shoot-out on Tuesday in their Last 32 clash.

Third-tier minnows Epinal claimed another major scalp in this season’s French Cup after eliminating eight-time national champions Nantes in a penalty shoot-out on Tuesday in their Last 32 clash.

Epinal, who knocked out holders Lyon 4-2 on penalties after a 3-3 draw in the Round of 64 earlier this month, repeated the trick against Nantes, who are currently in second place in the second division but are traditionally one of the country’s biggest clubs.

Nantes striker Filip Djordjevic had taken the Round of 32 tie into extra time as his last-gasp equaliser cancelled out Judicael Crillon’s opener.

The tie finished 1-1 after 90 minutes and extra time, before the hosts, from the Vosges department of eastern France, triumphed 4-3 in the shoot-out.

Top-tier sides Lorient, Evian and Troyes all won away to lower-league opposition on Tuesday, while Marseille’s away tie against Rouen was postponed after a major gas leak at a factory in the Normandy city.

The pick of the ties is on Wednesday, when Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain host top-flight rivals Toulouse.