Rennes fights off late Evian comeback

RENNES, France (AP)

Rennes fought off a strong comeback attempt from Evian to reach the French Cup quarterfinals with a 3-2 win Tuesday.

Rennes was up 3-0 with 20 minutes left before Evian scored two goals in a three-minute span, and winger Cedric Barbosa nearly grabbed an equalizer when his effort hit the bar in the 88th.

''We're very happy,'' Rennes coach Frederic Antonetti said. ''We're aware of our weaknesses though. We should have kept that match under control.''

Rennes winger Jires Kembo-Ekoko opened the scoring with a free kick that took a deflection off the wall in the 20th minute.

Midfielder Julien Feret doubled the lead with a low drive from the edge of the box in the 54th before substitute Yacine Brahimi fired home a long-range strike to make it 3-0 in the 68th.

But Evian pulled one back two minutes later when Kevin Berigaud converted a penalty after Rennes defender Jean-Armel Kana-Biyik had fouled Nicolas Farina.

Evian winger Sidney Govou then took a pass from Barbosa to find the net in the 72nd.

''We had a spell of weakness after our third goal,'' Feret said. ''We helped them get back into the match with the penalty. We qualified but with a scare.''

Rennes has won the French Cup twice and is in sixth place in the French league while Evian is just four points above the relegation zone.

''I have a lot of regrets,'' Evian coach Pablo Correa said. ''Things get very difficult if you need to score four goals to win, especially against one of the best French teams. I can tell you we won't concede three goals in our next match.''

On Wednesday, Lyon hosts Bordeaux, titleholder Lille visits Valenciennes, Montpellier faces Chateauroux and Gazelec Ajaccio plays Drancy.

However, three French Cup matches have been rescheduled because of frozen pitches following a cold snap.

The French Football Federation postponed Paris Saint-Germain's match at Dijon on Tuesday and Marseille's game against Bourg-Peronnas on Wednesday to Feb. 15. It also called off the match between Quevilly and Orleans on Tuesday, setting Feb. 21 as the new date.

The cold snap led to the postponement of three French league matches last weekend.