PSG Edge Past Lens in French Cup, Marseille and Monaco Advance

Paris Saint-Germain began their French Cup defense with a narrow penalty shootout win over Lens, while Marseille and Monaco secured comfortable victories.

Paris Saint-Germain kicked off their French Cup title defense with a hard-fought victory over Lens in the round of 64 on Sunday. The Ligue 1 champions were pushed to a penalty shootout after the match ended 1-1, but ultimately emerged triumphant.

Goalkeeper Matvey Safonov proved to be the hero for PSG in the shootout, saving crucial penalties from Lens players M'Bala Nzola and Andy Diouf. With Gianluigi Donnarumma sidelined due to a facial injury sustained in the midweek clash with Monaco, Safonov stepped up to the challenge and helped PSG win the shootout 4-3.

Lens took the lead in the second half through Abdukodir Khusanov's goal, but their advantage was short-lived as Goncalo Ramos promptly equalized for Paris Saint-Germain. The match ultimately ended 1-1, paving the way for the decisive penalty shootout.

PSG's reward for advancing to the next round is a tie against fifth-tier side Espaly-Saint-Marcel in mid-January. For the minnows from south-central France, the opportunity to face the Ligue 1 champions is a dream come true, setting the stage for a thrilling David-vs-Goliath encounter.

Marseille secured a convincing 4-0 win over Saint-Etienne on Sunday, with the turning point coming when Saint-Etienne's Ibrahim Sissoko received a red card midway through the first half. Marseille quickly capitalized on the advantage, with Mason Greenwood scoring his 11th goal of the season. Adrien Rabiot doubled the lead before halftime, and Luis Henrique and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg added two more goals in the second half to seal the victory.

Marseille's win sets them up for a thrilling matchup against Lille in the last 32, which will be played at home. Meanwhile, Monaco also advanced with a 4-1 win over Union Saint-Jean in Toulouse. They will face Reims in the next round, who also secured a win over lower-league opposition on Sunday.

Rennes secured a convincing 4-1 victory over Bordeaux, a team that has seen better days. The win marked a strong start to Rennes' French Cup campaign, while Bordeaux's struggles continued.

Meanwhile, Angers advanced to the next round, but Auxerre became the third Ligue 1 team to be eliminated, following in the footsteps of Le Havre and Montpellier, who both bowed out on Saturday. Auxerre's exit came courtesy of a 1-0 home defeat to Dunkerque, a Ligue 2 side that pulled off a notable upset.