The legs could have been weary as they headed to Le Mans just three days after their win at Saint-Étienne, and the second division hosts certainly set out to make life tough. Stéphane Diarra (4') and Vincent Créhin (7') both responded to Pablo Sarabia's (4') early effort, but Paris soon took a grip on the game.
Kylian Mbappé had a goal ruled out (13') and Angel Di Maria fizzed a free-kick close (14') before sending over the cross Sarabia swept home for the opening goal (0-1, 21').
Hamza Hadifi's fierce drive (22') was the hosts' riposte, but it was the visitors who had control. Mbappé fired goalwards from an acute angle (23') while Di Maria dragged a shot across the face of goal (33') before Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting added a second before the break, profiting from the surprise created by Marco Verratti's quickly taken free-kick and Mbappé's precise pass (0-2, 40'). Verratti and Mbappé were involved in the third that followed just a minute later, though this time the France international striker was at the sharp end of the move (0-3, 41').
Le Mans goalkeeper Pierre Patron had an unlucky helping hand in the fourth as he spilled a Di Maria long-range effort over the goalline early in the second half (0-4, 47'). Mbappé's curling shot almost made it five (51') before Harrison Manzala pulled one back for the hosts with a sweet hit (1-4, 53'). The strike inspired the hosts, but they were left frustrated by the Paris backline and goalkeeper Sergio Rico.
After Mbappé, Marquinhos and Verratti had been replaced by Icardi, Paredes and Herrera, the Parisians closed out the game comfortably to secure their place in the last eight of the last-ever Coupe de la Ligue.