Stade Rennais punched their ticket to the Coupe de France semifinal after defeating Le Puy 3-1 on Sunday at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.
Rennes got an early lead after Arthur Theate scored off an assist from Benjamin Bourigeaud in the ninth minute. Julien Stéphan and his team searched for the second goal to tighten their grip on the match, but it didn't come in the first 45 minutes.
After coming out of the dressing room for the second half, it didn't take long for Rennes to score the second goal. Les Rouge et Noirs were then awarded a penalty kick, and Bourigeaud converted in the 49th minute for a 2-0 lead.
Despite Le Puy being a fourth-division team, they didn't give up and cut the deficit to 2-1 thanks to a goal from Bryan Adinany in the 61st minute. Le Puy sought a game-tying goal to push the contest to a penalty kick shootout, but it never came for them.
Instead, Rennes scored an insurance goal after a second-half scare from Le Puy, as Bourigeaud scored his brace in the 82nd minute to give the team breathing room and punch their ticket to the semifinal.
🏁 𝗤𝗨𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗜𝗘́𝗦
— Stade Rennais F.C. (@staderennais) February 29, 2024
Dans un match accroché, les Rouge et Noir s'imposent 3 buts à 1 face au Puy et valident leur billet pour la demi-finale. 🙌#LPF43SRFC 1-3 pic.twitter.com/9ATZkNhUNu
Rennes will now turn their attention to league play as they host FC Lorient at Roazhon Park in a Breton derby this weekend. As we approach this weekend's Ligue 1 fixtures, Rennes finds themselves just three points behind fifth-place side LOSC Lille for a coveted European competition berth next season. A victory against Lorient would significantly enhance their position in this pursuit.
