Marseille and defending champions Toulouse were knocked out of the French Cup in the last 32 on Sunday, both falling in knife-edge penalty shoot-outs.
Marseille captain Samuel Gigot was his team’s fall guy, blasting his penalty kick over the crossbar, allowing Rennes to claim a 9-8 win.
Jordan Veretout had given Marseille a 29th-minute lead, scoring from a cross by Jonathan Clauss which bounced through the Rennes defence.
Rennes should have equalised in the closing stages of the first half but skipper Benjamin Bourigeaud’s penalty was saved by Pau Lopez in the Marseille goal.
Rennes were on level terms in the 53rd minute with Martin Terrier finding the net after being teed-up by Bourigeaud.
Toulouse were knocked out by third-division Rouen.
After the tie finished 3-3, Rouen came through 12-11 in the shoot-out when Toulouse defender Gabriel Suazo hit the post with his penalty before Abdeljalil Sahloune succeeded for the outsiders from Normandy.
Rouen, sixth in their division, went ahead in the 16th minute through Omar Bezzekhami but Toulouse skipper Vincent Sierro levelled just two minutes later.
Toulouse took the lead just after the half-hour mark with a superb volley by Yann Gboho.
Rouen equalised through a Valentin Sanson penalty in the dying moments of the first half and then went ahead 3-2 after 64 minutes with a header by Sofyane Bouzamoucha.
Toulouse, however, sent the tie into the shootout in the second minute of stoppage time with a goal from Rasmus Nicolaisen.
