Metz booked their place in the next round of the Coupe de la Ligue by overcoming Nice in a penalty shootout at the Allianz Riviera this evening.
The two Ligue 1 sides, who are separated by just a couple of points in the league, shared five goals in an eventful first half.
It was Metz who flew out of the traps as Jose Luis Palomino fired them ahead early on before further strikes from West Ham United loanee Modibo Maiga and Thibaut Vion put them three up inside the first 20 minutes.
Nice weren't deterred, though, and had pulled two goals back by the break thanks to strikes from Neal Maupay and Alexy Bosetti.
The hosts, who won the Ligue 1 meeting last month thanks to a 95th-minute goal, struck again late on in this game to force extra time when Dario Cvitanich, a few minutes after coming on as a substitute, tucked home a penalty.
Neither side could find a way through in the extra period, so penalties were needed to decide the tie and it was Metz who came through 3-2 in the shootout.
Pascal Lemesre
