Paris progress with victory in Orléans

The stakes were high for our Red and Blues on this trip to the centre of the country with progress to the next round of the cup up for grabs in an overloaded schedule. For this trip to Orléans at the Stade de la Source, Paris Saint-Germain had every intention of living up to their lofty status... and their rhythm, after 3 clean sheets since the start of the year in 3 different competitions. For the game, Luis Enrique assembled a revamped starting XI that was as attacking as it was attractive, with Kylian Mbappé, Gonçalo Ramos, Marco Asensio and Randal Kolo Muani all lining up for kick-off.

The Coupe de France has the charm of pitting clubs separated by several divisions against each other on a pitch where anything is possible. So it was only logical that Orléans should try to pull off a surprise by catching the Parisians off guard in the opening minutes. That was all it took to pique the pride of the Parisians, who took the game by the scruff of the neck soon after. Luis Enrique's side quickly composed themselves, dominating possession, pushing the home side back into their own half and creating a few chances of their own, such as Asensio's free-kick, which was blocked by Paris-born and bred Owen Matimbou (8'). The Red and Blues got into their stride and showed that things were about to get serious. The breakthrough came from a Kylian Mbappé who was as hungry as ever. Our unstoppable striker broke the deadlock with a classy control-shot move (0-1, 16').

Breaking the home side's resistance again was going to be the trickiest task of the evening. The rest of the match proved just that. The courageous and hard-working Orléanais gave nothing away to resist the Parisians' onslaught, while their keeper made a number of valuable saves to prevent them from extending their lead.

After the break, it was clear that USO, forced to go in search of an equaliser, were going to take more risks. Faced with an opponent who was not afraid to take its chances to attack, the Parisian rearguard remained resolute in plugging the gaps, with Danilo as authoritative as ever in his interventions. Staying focused in the two danger zones was the key for our Red and Blue. A typical challenge in cup matches. But after the home side's stronger spell of the game, Luis Enrique's men put their foot back on the accelerator to make the difference at the other end of the pitch. Kylian Mbappé won a penalty, which he converted with ease (0-2, 63').

With two goals to his name, the No7 wasted no time in taking on the role of provider. Following a nice move started by Marquinhos, his pinpoint cross found the head of a perfectly placed Gonçalo Ramos(0-3, 72'). It was a textbook move that showed how seriously the Parisians were taking their mission in the freezing cold. To their credit, the Orléanais managed to reduce the deficit through Saint-Ruf (1-3, 86') before youngster Senny Mayulu, set up by Kylian Mbappé, scored his first ever professional goal in a frantic finish to the game (1-4, 87'). It was a fine moment that once again underlined the quality of the Parisian team. In the end, while the charm of the Cup may work its magic against the Parisians, the performance of our Red and Blues left the home team with little hope.

Paris Saint-Germain have qualified for the last 16 of the Coupe de France. Another box ticked in the capital's exciting calendar. The next stage of their campaign sees them return to the Parc des Princes for a top-of-the-table clash with Brest, third in Ligue 1, on Sunday. Mission accomplished.