After a penalty shoot-out in which Matvey Safonov shone, Paris Saint-Germain came through on Sunday evening at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis against a tough Lens side (1-1, 3-4 on penalties). Here's a look back at a victory that rounded off an exceptional year in 2024 for the Parisians!
Four days after their important league victory over AS Monaco (2-4), Paris Saint-Germain travelled again, this time to RC Lens in their Coupe de France opener. It was sure to be a challenge for Luis Enrique and his men, who relied on a central defensive pairing of captain Marquinhos and Willian Pacho in front of goalkeeper Matvey Safonov. Achraf Hakimi lined up at right-back, with Nuno Mendes on the other side. In midfield, Vitinha supported Fabian Ruiz and João Neves, while Lee Kang-In and Désiré Doué were on the wings, with Ousmane Dembélé starting in the centre.
From the start of the game, the Rouge et Bleu showed their determination to impose their rhythm on the Nordistes. They found themselves deprived of the ball, but they could rely on a well-organised defence to prevent the Parisians from hurting Hervé Koffi's goal. The Sang & Or counter-attacked and tried to take advantage of the speed of M'Bala Nzola, who came up against an imperious Willian Pacho (14'). The first big chance was a Parisian one, Désiré Doué's low cross from the left found Achraf Hakimi, but the Moroccan full-back's goal was disallowed for an unfortunate offside flag (25').
With no video refereeing at this stage of the competition, the Parisians had no choice but to attack again to avoid frustration. All the more so as Lens continued to look for the slightest opportunity, with Przemyslaw Frankowski seeing his shot blocked by the Parisian defence (26'). The capital club maintained their grip on the match, and Marquinhos rattled the crossbar when he volleyed home Lee Kang-In's corner (39')! Just before the break, the home side hit back through Adrien Thomasson, who burst into the area and opened up a shooting opportunity that was quickly closed down by a vigilant Parisian rearguard (44').
The start of the second half was more free-flowing, with more speed in the passing game and more space for both sides to exploit. But neither Ousmane Dembélé (51') nor Désiré Doué (53') were able to take advantage. The ball went from one end to the other, and Lens' response was immediate with a counter-attack led by Angelo Fulgini, who pounced on the ball and unleashed a shot that skimmed Matvey Safonov's upright (54'). The difference was finally made from a set-piece, when Abdukodir Khusanov latched onto a deflected ball at the near post to beat the Parisian defence and open the scoring (1-0, 66'). It was a goal that boosted the confidence of the Lensois, encouraged by their fans, and made the task even more difficult for the Rouge et Bleu.
But there was no question of losing confidence for the club from the capital, who took advantage of Gonçalo Ramos' clinical pivot move to quickly pull level (1-1, 70')! As the minutes ticked by, Paris doubled their efforts to get a second goal, and Ousmane Dembélé put on a show in the Lens area before forcing Koffi to intervene (88'). But neither side was able to make the difference in the closing stages, and the game went to penalties. The Parisians were not to be denied, with Vitinha, Gonçalo Ramos, Ousmane Dembélé and Bradley Barcola all hitting the target. Matvey Safonov, meanwhile, was decisive, turning away shots from M'Bala Nzola and Andy Diouf to send Paris Saint-Germain through.
At the end of a thriller, it was the Parisians who booked their place in the next round, this time travelling to the Haute-Loire to take on Espaly (N3). Before that, however, there is a well-deserved winter break for the Rouge et Bleu, who end 2024 on a high and return to competitive action on Sunday 5th January when they take on AS Monaco in the Trophée des Champions in Qatar.