Top-flight teams avoid upsets, reach French Cup round of 32

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This article was published 08/01/2023 (1356 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

PARIS (AP) — Top-flight teams Lorient, Reims and Toulouse avoided upsets with heavy scoring to reach the French Cup’s round of 32 on Sunday.

But four-time winner Auxerre, which also plays in the first division, needed penalty kicks to get past third-tier Dunkerque after a 2-2 draw.

Lille won 2-0 at home against Troyes later Sunday in an all-first division game.

Canada’s World Cup striker Jonathan David put Lille ahead in the 15th minute and substitute forward Mohamed Bayo added the second goal midway through the second half.

Earlier, Dutch striker Thijs Dallinga led the way for Toulouse with two goals in a 7-1 win at fifth-tier Lannion. Toulouse showed fair play by giving Lannion’s players a guard of honor as they walked off.

Lorient won 6-0 at amateur team La Châtaigneraie with forward Yoann Cathline netting twice, while midfielder Martin Adeline also grabbed two as Reims won 7-0 at amateurs Loon-Plage.

Corsican team Ajaccio went to the east of France to take on fourth-tier Jura Sud and won 2-1. Brazilian striker Ruan Levine got both goals for the first-division squad.

Meanwhile, Nassim Akrour showed that age still has not caught up with him, as the 48-year-old former Algeria striker set up fifth-tier Chambéry’s third goal with a fine pass in a 3-1 win at Aubagne.

First-division teams Clermont, Monaco and Nice all lost on Saturday — with Nice’s defeat increasing the pressure on coach Lucien Favre — while record 14-time cup champion Paris Saint-Germain needed late goals to win on Friday.

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