Beto on the double for Bordeaux

Bordeaux Girondins' forward Vladimir Smicer (R) fights for the ball with Sannois-Saint Gratien's defender Mikael Stephan at the Chaban Delmas stadium in Bordeaux, during their French Cup football match. Bordeaux won 2-1.

Bordeaux new boy Beto marked his arrival at the French outfit with a double which lifted his side to a 2-1 French Cup win over third division Sannois-Saint-Gratien.

The former Sporting Lisbon central defender was making his debut after signing a two-and-a-half year contract with Bordeaux just last week.

The 29-year-old, who has 29 caps for Portugal, said he wanted a change of direction in his career after 10 years at the Lisbon club and proved true to his words as he helped his side into the last 16.

"I couldn't have dreamed of a better debut," said Beto, who has not been picked by his country since March 2004 and hopes to earn a recall on the run-up to the summer's World Cup finals in Germany.

"I felt good and my teammates really backed me up fantastically. I'm finding it very easy to settle in. I often scored important goals with Sporting, and I wanted to play a key role here as well."

Visiting Sannois-Saint-Gratien had taken the lead after 38 minutes after Erwan Quintin took advantage of some sloppy defending to head in.

Quintin came close to scoring his second just after the break before Bordeaux woke up with Julien Faubert, Beto and Fernando having shots at goal.

But Beto got the breakthrough after 68 minutes when he blasted the equaliser in from six metres out off a Vladimir Smicer free kick six minutes from time.

Elsewhere giant killers Lyon La Duchere struck again and after toppling Toulouse in the previous round claimed the scalp of Strasbourg 5-4 on penalties after the match ended 0-0.

The Alasatian outfit, who fighting to stay in the Fourth Division, were never worried by their rivals.

Coach Alain Moizan said: "It's very satisfying after Toulouse in the previous round to eliminate another first division side. It was a tough match for us but we were able to profit from Strasbourg's weaknesses. Our goalkeeper had a great match."

Goals in either half from newly-signed Julio Hernan Rossi and Malian striker Mamadou Diallo gave Nantes a comfortable 2-0 victory at Third Division Bois-Guillaume.

Rossi, who arrived from Swiss side Basel earlier this month, opened after 13 minutes with Diallo claiming the second just one minute from the final whistle.

In a match between top flight sides, an own goal by Lens defender Benoit Assou-Ekotto handed Rennes a win at home. The unfortunate goal came after 63 minutes when Assous-Ekotto tried to block the ball with his chest and it bounced into the goal.

Meanwhile the tie between Chateauroux and first division Sochaux was stopped in the 53rd minute with the score at 0-0 and postponed until another date.