Cinderella Stories: Third-tier Avranches Stuns Ligue 1 Brest in French Cup

Third-tier Avranches eliminated Ligue 1's Brest in the French Cup after a dramatic penalty shootout, securing their place in the last 32. The match concluded 1-1 before penalties. Brest faced a numerical disadvantage following an early red card. In other games, Angers and Montpellier narrowly advanced.

In a stunning turn of events, third-tier Avranches kicked Ligue 1's Brest out of the French Cup on Friday. With a 5-4 victory on penalties, Avranches secured their spot in the last 32 after the teams ended the regular match time tied at 1-1.

Brest played most of the encounter with ten men after Julien Le Cardinal was dismissed midway through the first half, putting the Ligue 1 side at a severe disadvantage. Meanwhile, Angers narrowly escaped a similar upset at the hands of third-division Les Herbiers, winning 6-5 on penalties after a goalless draw.

Elsewhere, second-tier teams had mixed results; Montpellier managed a slim 1-0 victory over fifth-tier Canet Roussillon, Reims cruised to a 4-0 win against IC Croix, and Laval secured a tight 1-0 victory over Guincamp. Le Mans overcame sixth-tier Perigny with a 2-1 win, while Lens defeated Feignies Aulnoye 3-1 at home.

(With inputs from agencies.)