Lille continued its impressive unbeaten streak, which now stands at 20 matches across all competitions, by defeating Marseille in a penalty shootout to advance to the round of 16 in the French Cup.

In a thrilling conclusion at Stade Velodrome, Marseille’s Luis Henrique found the back of the net with a stunning equalizer just as the match was about to conclude, leveling the score at 1-1. However, Henrique’s luck changed during the penalty shootout, where he failed to convert his attempt.

Veteran goalkeeper Vito Mannone played a crucial role in Lille’s triumph, saving penalties from both Henrique and Jonathan Rowe, ultimately leading Lille to a 4-3 victory in the shootout. Lille had looked poised to win the match in regulation time, thanks to an impressive goal from Icelandic midfielder Hákon Haraldsson in the 69th minute, assisted by Jonathan David.

The equalizer came courtesy of French midfielder Adrien Rabiot, who set up Henrique to take a powerful shot from 20 meters out, leaving Mannone no chance. Lille’s resilience under Coach Bruno Genesio has made them a formidable opponent, with their last defeat occurring on September 17 against Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League.

Marseille boasts a rich history with 10 French Cup titles, although they have not tasted victory since 1989. Lille, meanwhile, is still in pursuit of their seventh title in the competition.

Another exciting encounter took place as Reims managed to eliminate five-time champions Monaco, winning their penalty shootout 3-1 after a 1-1 deadlock. Reims took the lead with a header from defender Cédric Kipré before Monaco’s Mika Biereth netted the equalizer in his debut match after transferring from Sturm Graz last week. Despite this, Biereth missed his spot-kick in the shootout, raising concerns for Monaco’s coach Adi Hütter, who now faces scrutiny with only two wins in the last ten matches.

In additional matches, Nice secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Bastia, a team from the second tier. The win came from midfielder Mohamed-Ali Cho in the 62nd minute, following a crucial penalty save by Nice goalkeeper Maxime Dupé against Amine Boutrah just before halftime.

Current champions Paris Saint-Germain are vying for a record 16th title in the French Cup and are scheduled to play against the modest fifth-tier club Espaly on Wednesday.