Dunkerque Advances to French Cup Semis with Brest Upset

PARIS — In a thrilling encounter, Dunkerque demonstrated remarkable resilience by overcoming a 2-0 deficit to defeat top-tier team Brest 3-2 and secure a place in the French Cup semifinals on Wednesday.

The second-division team Dunkerque had previously eliminated Ligue 1 frontrunner Lille through penalty kicks, after scoring a dramatic equalizer six minutes into stoppage time.
Against Brest, a team that experienced the Champions League competition this season, Dunkerque faced elimination but took advantage of Brest’s vulnerability in defending set-pieces. Midway through the second half, central defender Vincent Sasso found the net and was followed by defender Opa Sanganté, who scored twice in the final 10 minutes to clinch the victory.

Meanwhile, defending champion Paris Saint-Germain coasted to a 7-0 triumph over fourth-division Saint-Brieuc on the same day, with striker Gonçalo Ramos achieving a hat trick, and leading scorer Ousmane Dembélé adding to the tally in the closing stages.

Joining Dunkerque and PSG in the semifinal lineup are Reims and fourth-tier Cannes. Cannes delivered yet another upset by eliminating second-tier Guingamp on Tuesday.