Under the lights at Stade Jean-Bouin, Paris FC and Rennes turned a Ligue 1 evening into a stoppage-time storm. Lassine Sinayoko held his nerve from the spot in the 97th minute to give Paris FC a 4-3 victory after Rennes had twice fought their way back through Estéban Lepaul penalties.
The match, played on Sunday 18 October in the seventh round, swung repeatedly before Sinayoko settled it with his second goal. Maxime Lopez also struck twice for Paris FC, while Lepaul completed a hat-trick entirely from the penalty spot for Rennes.
Quick facts
- Final score: Paris FC 4-3 Rennes.
- Maxime Lopez scored in the 14th and 45th+4th minutes.
- Estéban Lepaul converted penalties in the 29th, 74th and 88th minutes.
- Lassine Sinayoko scored from open play in the 76th minute and won it from the spot in the 97th.
- Rennes had a Sebastian Szymanski goal ruled out by VAR early in the second half.
Paris FC began with purpose and created a cluster of early chances. Pablo Pagis tested Brice Samba, while Sinayoko, Samir Chergui and Adama Camara were involved as the home side pressed Rennes deep.
Lopez opened the scoring after 14 minutes, arriving in the central area to finish a Sinayoko assist. Rennes gradually found routes forward through Djaoui Cissé and Estéban Lepaul, with several efforts blocked before they earned their first penalty.
Pierre Lees-Melou brought down Lepaul in the area on 27 minutes. Lepaul took responsibility himself and sent Kevin Trapp the wrong way with a low finish into the left corner to level the score.
The first half was increasingly fractured by fouls and bookings. Przemyslaw Frankowski was cautioned for handball, Cissé, Adrien Thomasson and Anthony Rouault were booked, and Chergui also saw yellow after a handball incident.
Paris FC regained the lead just before the interval. Sinayoko was involved again, with Lopez finishing from close range in the fourth minute of added time after the forward’s attempt had gone wide.
Rennes made three changes at half-time, sending on Mousa Al Tamari, Aboubakar Nagida and Valentin Rongier for Ludovic Blas, Frankowski and Thomasson. Bryan Reynolds forced Trapp into a save soon after the restart, but Paris FC briefly appeared to extend their advantage when Szymanski found the net at the other end.
That effort did not stand. VAR intervened in the 51st minute and ruled out Szymanski’s goal, leaving Paris FC ahead by a single strike.
Both teams were then disrupted by injuries. Paris FC lost Hamari Traoré, with Otávio entering in the 79th minute, while Chergui and Luca Koleosho were later replaced by Emmanuel Mbemba and Moustapha Mbow respectively. Moses Simon came on for Ilan Kebbal, and Rudy Matondo had already replaced Pagis.
Rennes brought on Mahdi Camara and later Boulaye Dia, while Al Tamari began to cause problems from the left. The visitors were back level on 74 minutes when Chergui fouled Al Tamari in the box, allowing Lepaul to convert another low penalty.
The response from Paris FC came two minutes later. A Kebbal cross created danger, Sinayoko’s initial header was blocked, and the forward reacted quickest to drive a left-footed finish into the right side of the goal for 3-2.
Rennes refused to fold. Otávio was penalised for handball in the 87th minute and Lepaul completed his treble a minute later, blasting his third penalty into the right side to make it 3-3.
There was still one final twist. With six additional minutes initially indicated, Lepaul went down injured in the 90th minute after Rennes had used all their substitutions, but play resumed. In the third minute of added time, Rongier fouled Sinayoko in the box and VAR confirmed the penalty decision.
Sinayoko stepped up in the 97th minute and sent the ball low into the right side of the net. Paris FC saw out the closing moments to take a remarkable 4-3 win, despite a late yellow card shown to Traoré and Rennes pressure that included an Al Tamari effort saved by Trapp and a blocked Camara shot.
