Eight days after their meeting in Ligue 1, which ended with a victory for Luis Enrique’s men (2-1), PSG and PFC did it again in the round of 16 of the Coupe de France. For this meeting, the Spanish coach made a few changes compared to the XI which started against OM in the Champions Trophy (2-2, 4-1 tab). Zabarnyi, Beraldo and Mayulu started, as did Bradley Barcola and Gonçalo Ramos, both of whom scored the equalizer against the Olympians. Mendes, Neves, Doué and Dembélé started on the bench. Opposite, Stéphane Gilli aligned his team in 5-4-1 with Geubbels, scorer in the championship match, at the forefront. Returning from the CAN after the elimination of Algeria, Ilan Kebbal was on the bench.
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As expected, it was the residents of the Parc des Princes who had the ball. The first opportunity came in the 11th minute when the restless Barcola overtook Sangui on the left, before delivering a cross to Ramos, who was too short to head the ball. Two minutes later, the PFC responded with Gory’s attempt, easily captured by Chevalier (13th). If the visitors showed good will in the pressing, the European champions for their part faltered in the finishing, as on the distant attempt by Vitinha (14th) or the lob by Ramos (23rd). Mayulu, for his part, missed his control after the good work of Kvaratskhelia (36th), while Vitinha tried to go even further… without success (45th).
The PFC of a great Nkambadio surprises PSG!
Returning from the locker room, Kebbal and De Smet entered the PFC side. But it was PSG who continued to accelerate. Aligned on the right this Monday evening at the Parc, Kvaratskhelia was very close to deceiving Nkambadio with a vicious cross-shot (51st). If he was sometimes imprecise in his restarts, the 22-year-old goalkeeper responded this evening, with a new save in front of Ramos (56th), then Zaire-Emery (60th). After Barcola’s failure (65th), he did it again against Dembélé (70th). More than important parades which left the Paris Football Club alive, until the final blow. On one of its rare offensive movements, the PFC managed to surprise PSG. After PSG lost the ball, Kebbal advanced with the ball before slipping it to Ikoné, behind Beraldo’s back. The former Parisian Titi then fired the ball into the back of Chevalier’s net to cool the Parc des Princes (0-1, 74th).
Surprised, Luis Enrique’s Parisians stepped on the accelerator to finally beat Nkambadio. But when the PFC goalkeeper was beaten, he was finally saved by his crossbar, as in this countered cross from Zaire-Emery (87th). After two final attempts, with Doué’s header (90th+6) and Nkambadio’s long-range strike (90th+8), the PFC was able to celebrate its qualification for the 1/8 finals of the Coupe de France on the home ground of the double title holder. Stéphane Gilli’s men will know their opponent tomorrow evening during the draw before the final meeting of this round which will pit Bayeux (Regional) against OM. Opposite, PSG is experiencing its first disappointment of the season and will have to quickly get back on its feet when they host Lille in the championship on Friday.
