The Malta Independent 26 April 2024, Friday
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French Ligue 1: Goalkeeper scores Monaco's winner in penalty shootout

Associated Press Wednesday, 9 January 2019, 22:07 Last update: about 6 years ago

Goalkeeper Loic Badiashile sent Monaco through to the League Cup semifinals on Wednesday with a penalty shootout winner his coach Thierry Henry would have been proud of.

After all the outfield players had taken a penalty each in a tense shootout it was down to the goalkeepers to take their turn. The score was 7-7, with three players from each side having missed, and up stepped Rennes goalie Tomas Koubek.

He went for power over precision and it looked almost like he was taking a goal kick, rather than a penalty, as he blazed the ball high over the crossbar.

Then it was down to Badiashile, and he made no mistake as he confidently blasted the ball past Koubek.

During regulation time, midfielder Benjamin Bourigeaud put Rennes ahead in the 30th minute and attacking midfielder Rony Lopes equalized in the 55th. The return of Lopes from injury is a welcome boost for Henry, the former Arsenal and Barcelona striker whose side is struggling in 19th place in the French league.

Later Wednesday, League Cup holder Paris Saint-Germain faced Guingamp and Bordeaux faced second-division Le Havre. In Tuesday's quarterfinal, Strasbourg reached the last four with a 2-1 win at Lyon.

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