PARIS, Feb 10: Justin Kluivert scored a pair of goals his prolific father would have been proud of as Nice beat Marseille 4-1 to reach the semifinals of the French Cup on Wednesday.
Kluivert netted with a firm downward header for the first, then a powerful looping shot over the goalkeeper from just outside the penalty area for the second. For good measure he set up striker Andy Delort for the fourth goal with a curling pass from the right flank.
Kluivert is on a season-long loan from Italian club Roma. The 22-year-old has played for the Netherlands but not scored.
His father Patrick Kluivert netted 40 times for the Oranje and hit 122 goals in 257 games for Barcelona from 1998-2004.
Scoring runs in the family, with Patrick’s father Kenneth Kluivert notching a hefty 366 goals in 345 games for Surinam team Robinhood in Paramaribo.
Marseille scored first from a rapid attack in the third minute led by midfielder Matteo Guendouzi.
Poland striker Arkadiusz Milik’s shot was blocked and the rebound found Turkey winger Cengiz Under, whose shot was stopped but hit the back of defender Melvin Bard and rolled in.
Nice forward Amine Gouiri equalized in the 10th after a fine solo run, with both goals were awarded following video review.
Gouiri was involved in the second, laying the ball off to Delort on the right and his cross was met by Kluivert’s head.
Kluivert struck again in the 49th with a powerful shot from the right into the left corner of the net.
Delort got a loud ovation when he came off near the end and a kiss on the cheek from coach Christophe Galtier.
Nice won the last of its three French Cups in 1997.
Versailles vs Bergerac
Earlier, Versailles knocked out fellow fourth-tier side Bergerac on penalty kicks to reach the last four.
Versailles scored through midfielder Inza Diarrassouba’s 14th-minute goal, but Axel Tressens equalized after receiving an astute pass from Christian Gyeboaho in the 90th.
The handful of fans who traveled some 580 kilometers (about 360 miles) down from near Paris celebrated jubilantly with the players after Versailles won 5-4 on penalties to join last year’s runner-up Monaco in the last four.
Nantes faces second-tier Bastia at home on Thursday.
Nantes was once a powerhouse in French soccer and celebrated winning its third French Cup in 2000 and its eighth league title the following year but has won nothing since 2001.
Coach Antoine Kombouare, a former Nantes defender, has brought much-needed stability back to the club. (AP)
