PARIS (AFP) –
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.