Ancelotti suffers first PSG loss in cup quarters
Reuters - Wednesday 21 March 2012, 22:27
Carlo Ancelotti suffered his
first competitive defeat as Paris Saint-Germain manager when the
Ligue 1 leaders lost 3-1 at home to Olympique Lyon in the French
Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday.
PSG, unbeaten since Ancelotti took over from Antoine
Kombouare in December, took the lead through a Nene penalty but
Lyon struck back before the break with goals by Kim Kallstrom
and Lisandro Lopez before wrapping it up with a Bafetimbi Gomis
penalty in stoppage time.
They will travel to GFCO Ajaccio in the semi-finals after
the third division side knocked out Montpellier 1-0.
Stade Rennes, who claimed a 3-1 win at 10-man Valenciennes
earlier on Wednesday, will visit third division side Quevilly
who reached the last four by beating Olympique Marseille 3-2
after extra time on Tuesday.
"It was a great first half. Then we had to sit back in the
second half because Paris were really strong but we were
disciplined and that's why we held on. Hats off to the team,"
Lyon coach Remi Garde told France 3.
PSG went ahead in the 19th minute when the hosts were
awarded a penalty after Samuel Umtiti handled the ball.
Brazilian Nene converted from the spot but Lyon were quickly
back into contention as Kim Kallstrom fired a 25-metre free-kick
into the top corner to make it 1-1 after 25 minutes.
Lyon took the lead six minutes before half-time when Lisandro
latched on to a Kallstrom cross at the far post to double the
tally from close range.
France striker Gomis put the result beyond doubt from the
spot after Michel Bastos had been brought down in the box by
Christophe Jallet.
Montpellier fell to Yohan Bocognano's crossed shot in the
75th minute after a mediocre performance in Corsica.
"It's wonderful, we just beat a team who are in the race to
the French title," Bocognano told French TV channel France 2.
Ligue 1's top striker Olivier Giroud hit the woodwork with
five minutes left but that was all Montpellier had to show for
themselves four days after they suffered their first defeat of
the year in a 1-0 loss at Nancy.
Rennes prevailed thanks to second-half goals by John Boye
and Youssouf Hadji after Valenciennes were down to 10 men
following Foued Kadir's dismissal in the 42nd minute for a rough
tackle on Yann Mvila.
Valenciennes striker Mamadou Samassa had cancelled out
Jonathan Pitroipa's first-half opener.